Harry Potter 100
by lightblue-Nymphadora
Summary: 100 unrelated 200-word drabbles. The Harry Potter half of my 200 story. Various ships.
1. Wills

**_LbN: 200! Every other chapter will be Glee. _  
**

**200- Reading of a Will  
**

"I don't want to go."

"I know," Molly said gently. "But you're named in her will. I promise we'll come straight home after."

The younger woman nodded. "I'll be down in a moment." She summoned her shoes and took her time putting them on. It had been bad enough having to sit through Fred's will reading yesterday. Still… she was curious as to what on earth Tonks could have left for her.

* * *

The room was full when they got there. Unsurprisingly, Harry was there, along with Andromeda, a few Ministry people Ginny had seen before but didn't know, McGonagall, and Ron. Her ears rang as the Gringotts goblin read from the will. She'd been operating on autopilot for two weeks now, so she knew she'd clue back in when she needed to.

"To Miss Ginny Weasley," he said finally. "I leave all my gold, and my apartment, as a thank you for being an inspiration at a time when I felt completely alone. It is my hope that she will use the gold to one day write the book we talked about."

Ginny gave a sad smile and squeezed her mother's hand. She'd rather just have Tonks back.


	2. Asparagus

**200- Asparagus  
**

"Shh!"

"You shhh!"

"Keep your voice down!"

"I wasn't even talking until you—"

"Would both of you shut your gobs!" Rose hissed as she, Scorpius and Albus tiptoed through Hogwarts under the Invisibility Cloak.

The other two shut up immediately. If they were going to pull this off, they had to stay hidden. Scorpius adjusted the box he was carrying and shuffled along with the two of them. They made it to the third floor without seeing anyone.

"Ready?" Albus whispered.

The other two nodded.

"Alohamora," he muttered at the door.

It was good that Professor Finnigan was the new History of Magic teacher, because that meant there was nothing dangerous in his room. And there, on the desk, was the jumbo box of Bertie Botts' Beans.

"Hurry and switch it."

"Harry…we've had a letter from Hogwarts," Ginny said, handing it to him.

Harry's smile grew wider as he read:

_**Dear Mr. and Mrs. Potter,**_

_**It is my duty to inform you that your son, Albus, has received a detention this weekend, for switching Professor Finnigan's Bertie Botts' for a box full of asparagus flavored beans. Thank you for your time,**_

_**Professor Slughorn, Head of Slytherin House**_


	3. Deluded

**200- Deluded (Albus-Severus/Scorpius)  
**

"I've been deluded! Hoodwinked! Bamboozled! Misled!"

Scorpius just smiled as he swept the pile of Galleons into a sack. "Wrong. You were simply beaten at your own game."

The older wizard stood suddenly, raising his wand.

"Put it away, Fitzsimmons," Scorpius said carefully. "It's not worth it."

"Not worth it, you snot-nosed brat? You just stole a sack full of Galleons from me!"

"You bet me a game of chance, and I won. That's hardly stealing."

"Your boyfriend," the wizard spat. "He distracted me."

"Then I suppose the next time we come round for a match, you'll pay more attention."

"You—" Fitzsimmons started, raising his wand.

Scorpius looked on calmly as a different wand came to rest under the gambler's chin.

"I wouldn't, if I were you," Albus said. "Drop it."

Fitzsimmons did so. "I could turn you in, you know. And with your fathers on Magical Law Enforcement. Think of the scandal…."

"We'd lie and get away with it, as always," Scorpius said. "And you'd be branded a snitch. I'm tired, Albus. Let's go spend our money."

Albus kicked Fitzsimmons's wand and followed Scorpius outside.

"Really, what would our fathers say?" he asked with a laugh.


	4. Caught

**200- Caught (Angelina/George)  
**

"Aha!"

"Bugger all…."

"I caught you!"

"I can explain!"

"Like hell you can, George Augustus Weasley!" Angelina yelled. "Those are mine!"

"We're married! We're supposed to share things!"

"Give me my Muggle candy!" she whinged. "Harry brought those over especially for me!"

"Just one more?"

"You've eaten half the bag, you great prat!"

"You wound me, wife."

"You're wounding my candy stash!"

George held his hands up in surrender, and placed the bag of peanut butter M&Ms on the table between them. "Okay. There you go. I'll pick up some more on my way home tomorrow."

"Too right, you will," she grumbled, settling down on the couch.

"Can I get you anything else, my perfect beautiful angel darling?"

"George? You have no idea how close you are to being castrated."

"Right." He shuffled quickly into the kitchen, muttering about pregnant wives and hormones.

"It's your own damn fault, Weasley!" Angelina called.

"How do you even do that?" he grumbled. He poured them both a glass of lemonade and carried them back into the living room. "My dear," he said, handing her a glass.

"Thank you, Georgie," she said, smiling. "I picked a name."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Freddie, of course."


	5. Tortured

**200- Tortured**

Michael stayed in the shadows, waiting. Finally, he heard the cackle of the Carrows leaving the dungeons. Silently, he cast _Muffliato_, hoping that would cover the jingling of keys. As the Carrows walked away, he mumbled "_Accio!_" The keys came to, and he unlocked the nearest door. A first year boy was chained to the wall. "Adam?"

"Who are you?"

"Shh…I'm going to let you out. I want you to run to the seventh floor," he whispered as he unlocked the chains. "Look for the tapestry of trolls learning ballet. Just keep thinking 'I need a place to hide.'"

"You're coming too?"

"Yes." _Hopefully._

They walked out of the dungeon, and immediately dodged a curse.

"Go Adam!"

The boy stood there trembling.

"Go! Run!" Michael yelled, starting to duel the Carrows. He disarmed Alecto, but was hit with a stunning spell by Amycus.

As the large man dragged him into the dungeon, Micheal reminded himself of his mother's words.

"_You're going to fight back, Michael. And one day we'll beat them. But if they ever catch you…people say not to show fear, but that's wrong. Show fear. But think of your friends."_

Amycus took out his wand. "_Crucio_!"

Michael screamed.


	6. Diffident

**200- Diffident**

"Frankie? What are you doing up?" Neville asked, sitting next to his son on the couch. "We have to get you to the Hogwarts Express in the morning."

"I don't want to go," the boy said.

"Why not?" Neville asked, wrapping an arm around the boy's shoulders.

"I…I'm not magical enough."

"What?" Neville asked, laughing. "What on earth gave you that idea?"

"It's just…Teddy was always in the papers. Sirius is a genius. Lily inherited all of Ginny's Quidditch skills. Hell, even Scorpius and Albus are doing well. I'm not like any of them."

"No…you're not. But l can think of someone you are like. Someone who didn't think he was magical enough until his fifth year at Hogwarts."

"…You?"

Neville nodded. "Hogwarts is grand. It's an adventure. But it's a lot of hard work, too. And I know firsthand that it's harder if you don't believe in yourself."

His son stared at the floor, but Neville could tell he was listening.

"You'll go to Hogwarts, and you'll make friends. And trust me, you'll find something you're good at. I know it. Now, up to bed."

Nodding, Frankie stood. "Thanks, Dad," he said, before climbing the stairs to his room.


	7. Snark

**200- Snark (Ginny/Tonks)  
**

"Tonks!"

"Oh Merlin, not another letter from Hogwarts."

_**Dear Mrs. Tonks,**_

_**I must inform you that your daughter, Gwendolyn, will be receiving a week's worth of detention, starting this Monday. Her "snark" as she calls it has been out of control lately. On Tuesday, she told me that the flower pots' setup in the greenhouses made about as much sense as Scorpius Malfoy's hair. Wednesday, she was caught sneaking out of the kitchens with some cakes. Her response to being questioned was "My brother ate when he wanted. Why can't I?" **_

"That's the truth," Tonks muttered.

"Don't encourage this!"

"She's not even here!"

_**Yesterday was the last straw. In Professor Malfoy's class, she apparently had a comment every time he posed a question to her. He broke down in tears and dismissed the class after only thirty minutes. She insists this attitude is due to her…monthly girl time. She'll be serving her detentions with Hagrid.**_

_**Yours Most Sincerely,**_

_**Neville Longbottom, Head of Gryffindor House.**_

_**P.S. I was tempted to award points for making Malfoy cry. It was rather funny….**_

Tonks was laughing by the time they finished the letter.

"She gets it from you," they said at the same time.


	8. Sickness

**200- Charlie; sickness**

Charlie woke up coughing. Again. For the eighth time that night. "Fuck," he mumbled. He'd been sent home from his internship on Monday. Something about passing out with fever while trying to subdue a litter of angry dragons made the veteran trainers a bit nervous.

He hated being sick. It was boring and uncomfortable, and if his mother found out…sweet Merlin, he hoped none of his supervisors had written home. Wait, no, he wasn't at Hogwarts anymore. No one was going to write home unless he did it himself.

Another coughing fit hit him as he shuffled into the kitchen for some tea.

"You sound like hell, mate."

"Argh!" he yelled, jumping backward and going into another coughing fit. "Tonks! Merlin's skid marked boxers! What are you doing here?"

"Taking care of you, since you never figured out how to do it yourself." She handed him a cup of tea.

"Did my mom send you?" he asked petulantly.

"Nope. I flooed over about an hour ago to bitch and moan about a training thing we had to do, and I heard you coughing."

Charlie sipped his tea. "Right…thanks."

"Don't mention it. Now go back to bed, or I'm calling Molly."


	9. Love Song

**_LbN: This was a challenge from a twisted mind at the Teachers' Lounge. :)_  
**

**200- Love Song (Filchwick)  
**

Filch hobbled through the quiet halls, muttering about the mud in the hallways. His back seized and he leaned against the wall. "Bloody kids…." He knew what they thought of him—that he was some kind of child hating monster. He wasn't. It was just that they were so bloody disrespectful of the castle. And one day, when _they_ had to clean up a mess, they'd be able to do it with the wave of a wand. He had to do it with sweat on his brow and curses on his lips.

He finally made it to their apartment. He smiled. Many students had tried to figure out where he lived, but failed. No one would believe he shared chambers with…

"I thought you'd never get home," Flitwick said from the bathtub.

Filch stripped and climbed into the tub with his lover. "Bloody kids," he said again. "I don't know how you deal with it, schnookums."

"Lots of practice, muffin." He shot a spell at the Muggle boom box (he'd taken all the wires out and it now ran on magic). As they relaxed in the warm water, the CD played their favorite love song.

_I wanna sex you up…._


	10. Irreverent

**200- Irreverant**

Luna Hecate Lovegood.

Dean knelt next to the grave and conjured a rag. With a scowl, he began scrubbing some graffiti off of it. "Some people never change," he grumbled to himself. Some of the painted names had faded. "Loony" was still going strong, having been repainted every time he cleaned it off.

"It's not fair."

He turned briefly. "Parkinson," he said, continuing to scrub.

"Thomas."

"What's not fair?" he asked after a long pause.

"It's so…disrespectful."

He snorted. "What do you care?"

"Contrary to popular belief, we Slytherins don't hate everyone under the sun. I liked Luna. She was…fun. And she was smart. So smart. Smart enough to outwit the bullies at Hogwarts."

"Like you and Draco?"

"Like her entire house. Like a ton of Gryffindors who would pick on her and ask how she ended up in Ravenclaw. Like the Hufflepuffs who went along with it so they wouldn't get the same treatment."

Dean finished scrubbing the paint off the headstone and sat back, panting.

Pansy walked over and conjured a wreath of irises. "There. At least now the crap is covered up."

Dean stood. "Irises?"

"Her birthday was in February."

He nodded. "See you around, I suppose."


	11. Daily Prophet

**200- Daily Prophet (trigger warning: mentions of abuse)  
**

Sirius Albus Potter wandered around the tiny dark apartment. He peeked into the living room where his brother and sister slept. He wished he'd been able to afford a flat where they could each have their own room. Unfortunately, he was only starting out at the Daily Prophet, and James was just an intern for the summer, so they weren't getting paid all that much.

"Bunking with Lily is a small price to pay for not having Dad smack me around every night," James had said.

There was a knock at the door.

James shot up in bed, clutching his wand.

Sirius smiled grimly. Apparently he hadn't been sleeping as peacefully as he thought. "I've got it, James." He checked through the peephole—an expensive one that let you see through concealments. "Professor Longbottom," he said, opening the door.

"Heard you three finally flew the coop."

"What's going on?"

"Here to let you know that your father was taken into custody earlier this evening. And I wanted to make sure you had groceries," he added, passing two bags to Sirius. "You're on your own now, but you're not alone."

Sirius tried not to tear up. "Thank you."

Longbottom nodded. "Goodnight."


	12. Pomegranate

**200- Pomegranate**

Draco hummed to himself as he browsed the fruit section in the small market. It had been four months since the battle, but he wasn't planning on going back to England any time soon. Living off the grid was better. He would face his past when he was sure he'd made peace with everything on his own, and not a moment before.

"You wouldn't happen to know how to pick a pomegranate, would you?"

"Astoria?"

"Indeed."

"What are you doing in Greece?"

"Mum and Daddy knew there would still be a lot of anti-Slytherin prejudice at Hogwarts…so they sent me here to go to school with our cousins."

"Oh. Right…er…here you go." He picked out a few pomegranates for her.

"We're allowed out on the weekends," she informed him. "Maybe we could hang out? You don't know anyone here, right?"

"Right," he said hesitantly. Frankly, it would be nice to have someone to hang out with. On the other hand, he didn't want word of his location spreading.

"Don't worry," she said. "I won't tell anyone you're here. And we don't have to talk about…before."

He nodded. "Well, just send me an owl, I suppose."

She smiled brightly. "I will."


	13. Airplanes

**200- Airplanes**

Harry pulled Mr. Weasley through the crowd. It had been easy to sneak past security, but now that they were in the terminal, all the older man wanted to do was examine the different types of planes.

"Oh! I believe I've seen that one in a brochure somewhere…. Why on earth would the Muggles name this airline 'Virgin'?"

Harry just smiled and ushered him along. "It's just this way, Mr. Weasley."

"Harry, really, must I keep reminding you to call me Arthur?"

"Old habits die hard."

They continued on until they reached the gate for an Aer Lingus flight. A tall man with grey hair was sitting on one of the chairs, reading a magazine. He looked up when they approached.

"Ready for the tour, then?" he asked in a deep Irish accent.

"All set. Mr….er, Arthur, this is George Walsh. His son and daughter go to Hogwarts now. He's a pilot."

"Really!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed. "How extraordinary! You must tell me all about it!"

"Aye," Walsh said. "And I'll give you the grand tour."

"I really can't thank you enough. It's always been my dream to find out how airplanes stay up."

"Let's get started, then," Walsh said, chuckling.


	14. Sky

**200- Sky (Neville/Hannah)  
**

Neville sipped his Butterbeer as he relaxed in his garden. The sun was setting, painting the roses and chrysanthemums in fetching shades of reds and oranges. He loved these nights…and there weren't many left. In a few weeks, he'd move his family back to Hogsmede, where Hannah and Colin would go back to the Three Broomsticks, and he'd go back to teaching.

Speaking of his 8 year old son….

He chuckled, hearing the trellis on the side of the house creak. It never failed. Every night he came out here, his son would climb down the side of the house and "hide," and wait until Neville went back inside to show himself. "Colin?"

"Hi Daddy. Why are you out here watching the sky?"

"I think a better question is, why are you out here with no shoes on…."

"I like feeling the grass in my toes!"

"Fair enough." Neville smiled as the boy climbed into his lap. "I'm remembering. During the war, your godmother used to change the color of the sky over Gryffindor Tower to let me know when someone was safe. I like seeing the sky like this."

The boy simply nodded, and snuggled closer to his father.


	15. Stars

**200- Stars**

Over the years, Scorpius had become a pro at sneaking away from things. He frequently dodged his father's society parties, and almost never had to sit through tea with his grandfather anymore.

Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to weasel his way out of tonight's event. It was the Ministry's annual New Year's Eve party, and the children of the high ranking officials were expected to attend. Thus, he was now sitting by his parents as they schmoozed, fighting the urge to bolt.

He just needed the opportunity. It was all in the timing.

"Thank you all for joining us this evening…." Kingsley Shacklebolt said.

This was his chance. No one paid attention to anyone else at the beginning of a speech. He slipped from his chair and moved into the shadow of the staircase. He was pretty sure it led to the roof—which was as good a hiding spot as any.

He wished he'd brought his jacket. When he reached the roof, he was startled to see someone already there, gazing at the stars.

"Hi."

"Hey. I'm Albus."

"A Potter?"

"Unfortunately. Share my blanket?"

Scorpius smiled and sat next to him. Maybe tonight wouldn't be so bad after all….


	16. Lazy Day

**200- Lazy Day (Ginny/Harry)  
**

Ginny opened her eyes slowly and yawned. She stretched as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Harry snored on, as always. She picked up her watch and looked at the time.

9:00 already? She never slept that late.

That was when it hit her. Today was the day. It was September 2nd, and all of her children were at Hogwarts this year. She was officially an empty nester…. Until Christmas at least.

Part of her wanted to wake Harry up for a good-morning tumble in the sheets, but he'd been called away on duty yesterday and hadn't gotten back until three that morning. So she kissed his cheek before going downstairs to make tea. She didn't even want a hot breakfast this morning. Cereal would work fine for the start of her lazy day. She Summoned her book from the living room, as well as some parchment and a quill. She was going to spend all day reading and writing letters.

Life was good.

Harry stumbled downstairs an hour later and found her wrapped in a blanket on the couch.

"Our first kid-free day…. Shall we spend it in bed?"

"Right behind you," she said, grinning.


	17. Knitting Needles

**200- Knitting Needles**

"I think Harry's cheating on me," Ginny said quietly.

Hermione's mouth dropped open. "What? No. There's no way."

Ginny nodded. "He's been…sneaking around lately. And every Wednesday night he says he's going out with Ron and George, but I know he's not. And…this fell out of his bag this morning."

Hermione took the letter Ginny passed to her and read:

_My apartment's being renovated. Here's the new address._

"Muswell Hill. What's he doing in north London?"

"I don't know, but I have to find out. Will you go with me?"

Hermione nodded. "I'm sure there's an explanation."

The two witches looked up at the building as the wind whipped around them.

"Let's go."

They went up to the third floor and found flat 22b. They stopped. There was a sign that said "Come on in!"

"Okay…." Hermione said, pushing the door open.

The sight that met them made both witches stare open-mouthed.

Knitting needles clicked together in utter abandon. Harry said at the end of the table, chatting with the ladies. He looked up and jumped, spotting them.

"Ginny?"

"You joined a knitting group?"

Harry looked over at the pile of Gryffindor scarves. "Ministry mandated stress relief," he explained.


	18. Light bulbs

**200- Light bulbs**

"Do you need my help with anything else?" Harry asked as he set the table.

"No," Pansy said. "I think we're okay. Food's ready, there are plenty of games for the kids…"

"I'll go make sure Sirius has trousers on then, shall I?"

"That would be wonderful," Pansy said, snickering. She wasn't sure why their son liked to run round in his underpants, but she chalked it up to it being a boy thing and left it to Harry. A wolf Patronus came floating down.

"Weird request, but just go with it," Tonks' voice said. "Take all of the light bulbs out of the lights. We'll have to use _Lumos_ for tonight."

"What?" Harry asked, coming in with Sirius.

"No idea, but I'm sure there's a reason."

The three of them set about de-lighting the house. Sirius was just finishing with the lamps when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" the ten-year-old said.

"Sirius!" Ron Jr. and Rose yelled, rushing in.

"Er…why are there light bulbs everywhere?" Ron asked.

The last lamp exploded at that moment. Harry jumped.

"That's why," Tonks said, standing in the doorway and nodding to the seven-year-old at her side. "This one's powers are coming in."


	19. Walking Away

**_LbN: Song lyrics don't count in the word count. This one's by Craig David._  
**

**200- Walking Away  
**

_I'm walking away from the troubles in my life_  
_ I'm walking away oh to find a better day_  
_ I'm walking away**  
**_

It had been endless. The funerals…the reporters…the meetings. Harry slumped against one of the stone walls and cried. He hadn't let anyone see him cry in the days after the war, though everyone had been expecting it. No…instead he would slip away when things began to be too much, find a hidden passage or empty classroom, and let his emotions out there.

A hand came to rest on his shoulder, and he jumped. "Neville?" he said, shakily trying to control his breathing.

Neville said nothing. He sat down next to Harry. "No one would…no one would blame you, Harry."

"If they saw me crying?" he asked.

"That too…but I meant…."

"I can't. There's still so much—"

"None of that is your responsibility. You did it. You were their Chosen One. You are…done."

"I can't just leave," he whispered.

"It wouldn't have to be forever. This," he nodded to the noise that was coming from downstairs. "This isn't going away. Not next week, or next month, or next year. You need time to think…and time to grieve."

Later that night, Harry packed a bag and left a note for Ron. Neville was right. It was time to walk away.


	20. Jack the Ripper Tour

**200- JtR Tour**

He didn't want to be here. How Malfoy had ended up in Magical Law Enforcement, Ron would never know. It didn't matter…he just wanted to get this inquiry behind him. He knocked twice and was told to enter.

"Weasley," Malfoy said, nodding.

Ron was glad to see that the other man wasn't smirking. "Malfoy."

"Look, Weasley, neither of us want to be here, so I'm going to be frank with you. Unless you performed that memory charm to cover up a rape, there's no way the Ministry's going to fine Potter's best mate. Got it?"

"Er…yeah."

"So just tell me what happened, and we'll be done."

"Hermione made me go on a Jack the Ripper tour."

"Come again?"

"This serial killer in London…the Muggles give tours about where he killed people and the mystery surrounding it. Hermione dragged me to one, and I…made a comment that a few people overheard."

"Which was?"

"That Jack was probably a wizard."

"And then you had to _Obliviate_."

"Tried to play it off like a joke, but they were Americans…wouldn't let it go."

"Right." He took a few notes. "No fine, no reprimand. Just use some bloody common sense next time, alright, Weasley?"

"Noted."


	21. U & Ur Hand

**200- U & Ur Hand (Ginny/Katie)  
**

Every once in a while, Ginny, Luna, Katie, and a few other girls from the Harpies and The Quibb (as The Quibbler was know known) would head into London for a night out. It had started as a way to relax, but it was now a tradition.

"Incoming," Katie said, taking a sip of her drink.

"He's coming for Ginny," Luna said. "Oh, and it looks like he's roped his friend into talking to one of us so that he can talk to Ginny."

Everyone waited for the men to walk up. After about three of these nights, they had all figured out not to bet against Luna's creepily accurate intuition. Sure enough, the small portly fellow sidled up to Reggie (the Harpies' captain) and the skinny, weedy looking one went straight to Ginny.

"What's a fine looking lass like you doing in a dump like this?" he asked.

"Waiting for my girlfriend to buy me another drink," Ginny said, pulling Katie closer.

"Oh, that's the way of it?"

"'fraid so. Why don't you take tiny and go back to your mates."

The man pulled his friend away.

"That's number twenty for Ginny. Next round's on her!" Katie said, laughing.


	22. Plucking

**200- Plucking**

Albus Severus Potter was bored. It was another family reunion at the Weasley Estate. He could be off having fun with Scorpius at a Quidditch camp, but no…. Instead he was stuck here, watching his grandmother try to teach his sister and cousins the key to plucking a chicken.

He sighed. It wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't constantly pushed aside in favor of the others (James, Dominique and Lily, especially). But the fact that he was invisible after the preliminary greetings meant he should be able to not be there at all.

He got up from the table and wandered through the back garden. Over rows of Grandma Weasley's tall flowers, he could see his grandfather's shed. That was it! He could get lost in there for days with all the odd stuff the older redhead had collected. Making his way over, he stopped when he heard laughter inside. Peeking in, he spotted his father and grandfather tinkering with a modern Muggle sports car. He grinned as purple and green sparks flew from under the hood.

Harry and Arthur jumped when they spotted him.

"Not a word to your mother," Harry said.

"Not if you let me help."


	23. cello

**200- Cello**

Rose tried to ignore her friends. She was actually very interested in this lesson. It made no sense why they had to keep her from listening, just because they didn't want to.

"…don't understand why we're taking Muggle Studies…"

"Oi, Rosie, can I copy your potions homework?"

"No," she hissed. She turned back to the professor and tried to focus on taking notes.

"…thus, Muggle students are exposed to a wide variety of music and instruments…"

"It's not like we're going to use any of this…."

"Come on! I'll give you two of my Quidditch cards. Slughorn's going to fail me…."

"No!"

"Miss Weasley, to the front of the class, please."

Rose shot a glare at Albus and Scorpius as she walked up. "Yes, sir?" she asked morosely. She hated this. They were always getting her into trouble.

"Perhaps, for your diligence in trying to concentrate while Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy were distracting you, you'd like to pick the first instrument for this week's assignment?" the old man offered with a smile.

She looked up in shock, and then smiled. Glancing over the instruments, she pointed to a big fiddle thing. "I'll take that one."

"The cello. Good choice."


	24. King Arthur

**200- King Arthur**

James would never admit he still did this. It was childish, but he figured if the Malfoy brat could still sleep with a stuffed dragon without getting the shit beat out of him…no one would look twice at James Potter's book list.

"Evening, Madame Pince," he said, smiling. "I have a question for you."

"Yes?" she asked, eyeing him over the edge of her glasses.

"I have a Muggle Studies project to work on, and I was wondering if we kept any children's books."

She relaxed visibly, probably relieved that he wasn't trying to talk his way into the Restricted Section. "Indeed, young man. Right this way." She led him to the very back of the Muggle Studies section, to a smaller bookshelf tucked away in a corner. "If there's anything specific that we don't have, I do have a contact at the British Library. We could order it for you."

"This should be fine," James said, already spotting the book he wanted. "Thank you very much, Madame Pince."

"No trouble, young man," she said.

The books were all dusty, with browning hardback covers. He grabbed "King Arthur and His Knights" and made his to the front of the library.


	25. Addiction

**200- Addiction (Harry/Ginny; Hermione/Seamus)**

Hermione opened the door to find Ginny standing there, holding a sleeping Sirius. She stood to one side to let them through.

"Thank you," Ginny said.

"You can put him down in the guest room and then we'll talk. Seamus is making tea."

"I'll be right there."

Hermione sighed and walked into the kitchen. She hugged her husband from behind. "It's Ginny."

"Aye. It usually is," he said sadly. "Not to worry. Got something up me sleeve for cold nights," he added, nodding to the kettle.

When Ginny made it back into the kitchen, she began without preamble. "Firewhiskey. An entire bottle today."

"Blimey," Seamus muttered. "That's an addiction if ever there was one. How's he still standing even?"

Ginny shrugged. "I told him I was leaving yesterday."

"How'd he take it?" Hermione asked.

"He went to Gringotts and locked my account."

"HE WHAT?"

"He's Harry Potter. He could order to have me executed and the Ministry would do it without batting an eye."

Hermione pulled her into a hug. "Lucky for you, the head of Magical Law Enforcement is on your side. We'll get it sorted. Until then, you and Sirius can stay here."

Ginny smiled sadly. "Thank you."


	26. Strawberries and Whipped Cream

**200- Strawberries and Whipped Cream (Tonks/Harry)**

"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!"

"Teddy, Teddy, Teddy," Tonks said as the three year old hopped over to her. "What can I do for my little prince?"

"Snack please!"

"Of course…" Tonks chuckled, putting him in his high chair. She waved her wand, and a few strawberries came floating over. She sliced them up onto a plate and added a generous amount of whipped cream next to them. "Here you go. Try to keep them on your tray this time."

She went back to looking over her recruits' training reports, cringing every once in a while. She glanced up and smiled when Teddy started making airplane noises with his strawberries. The boy's lips were bright red, and his hair matched.

"Afternoon, family!" Harry sang, stepping out of the fireplace. "Would you believe that git I call a best friend beat me to some Quidditch tickets? Er…why is my son wearing lipstick?"

Tonks laughed as Harry came round the kitchen island to hug her. "He's not. He got into the last of the strawberries for snack."

"Thought we were saving those and the whipped cream for something else?"

"Well, one must sacrifice much for their children. Don't pout. I'll pick more up tomorrow."


	27. Concentration

**200- Concentration**

The two boys were sweating by the time they made it back to Gryffindor Tower. James punched Sirius lightly on the shoulder and flopped down at the end of Remus' bed.

"How did it go?" Remus asked softly.

"The same," Sirius said, sliding under the blanket next to him.

"Hands on top of the blanket until I'm out of sight," James said. "Anyway, Remus, we're making progress. It's hard teaching ourselves…"

"We should be full-fledged animagi in the next month. You'll never have to spend a full moon alone again."

They froze, hearing a noise. It was Peter.

"You little—"

"If you hit me, I'll tell," he said.

"I'll take my chances," Sirius said, but Remus held him back.

"Let me train with you!" Peter said. "I won't tell anyone, I swear."

"Are you soft? This takes skill, concentration, coordination….None of which you have."

"I'll tell if you don't. And I'll tell about Remus' map, as well."

They shared a look. James advanced on him.

"You breathe a word of this, and I'll make sure the Slytherins have a Gryffindor punching bag. Understand?"

Peter squeaked. "What…what animal do you think I'll be?"

"By my guess?" Sirius said. "A rat."


	28. Comfy Chair

**200- Comfy Chair**

Lily followed her parents into the house and tried not to cry. Sure, her brothers teased her and hid weird things in her food sometimes, but they'd always been around. Now she was alone. She wandered into the family room and sat down in her dad's chair. It was a comfy chair, the most squishy in the house. It was big, and blue and about three times the size of a normal chair. Even at the age of nine, she could still lie down in it, if she curled up a bit. She and James and Albus would fight over it whenever their dad was off on a mission. Now she had it to herself.

She burst into tears.

A pair of strong arms picked her up and held her. She expected her dad, but it was Teddy.

"They're gone," she muttered through choked sobs.

He nodded. "Not for long, though. After the shock's worn off, you'll actually like having the house to yourself."

She shook her head.

He grinned. "You'll be at Hogwarts soon enough. What house do you think Al will get?"

"Slytherin."

"What about you?"

"Slytherin."

Teddy laughed. "Come on," he said. "Let's go make some cookies."


	29. Cream

**200- Cream**

Rose jumped, and then smiled when she saw who it was sitting next to her. "Hi, Professor Longbottom."

"I'm your godfather—call me Neville," he said.

"But we're at school."

"Indeed, but all of your classmates are sitting two meters away. I think we'll be fine." Without another word, he began to serve two plates. "I believe the chicken is good tonight."

"I'm not hungry."

"Yes, you are," he said gently. "You're trying to prove a point. You get that bad habit from your mother."

"Don't know what you're talking about," she muttered.

He pushed her plate towards her. "One of the hardest things about being a teacher is that the kids don't see me as a threat. McGonagall, yes, Slughorn, to a degree…not me. I'm less scary than Flitwick, to you lot. But it comes in handy, in that they don't think I'm listening, when I am. Starving yourself isn't going to get you on the Quidditch team. They're being arses…the lot of them."

Rose picked at her food.

Neville took one of the dessert bowls and cut her a slice of lemon cake. "Cream?"

"Why not…."

He smiled. "I expect you to eat all of that."

"Yes, Neville."


	30. Professor

**200- Professor**

He found her round back of the greenhouses. Here, there were just roses, and tulips. "Are you alright, Professor?" he asked. It was a stupid question, especially coming from him.

"As alright as I can be. It's hard saying goodbye."

He stayed quiet. He looked intently at the ground, until a rose came into his vision. Looking up, he saw she was smiling.

"Nothing lasts forever, Neville Longbottom. Not our awkward younger years…not our strong adult years… not our favorite places or people. Everything changes. And though…though the things we love may not disappear…." She broke off and set her pruning clippers on one of the long benches. "If there's one thing I'm proud of, it's how much you've grown. I'll tell you this…even when you were the little round boy who couldn't stand a cauldron up straight…I admired you as much as Harry Potter."

"You're having me on," he said, smiling.

"Not at all. He had a much similar upbringing, but when he entered our world, he was glorified. You were not. But I could see that you were just as much a Gryffindor." She breathed in the cool afternoon air. "Take care of the next generation, Professor Longbottom."


	31. Mailroom Witch

**200- Crazy Mailroom Witch**

Blaise peeked round the corner into the darkened office. He hated the new Ministry measures. One of the rules implemented to keep corruption down, was that anything ordered on the Ministry's dime had to come in through the mailroom and be picked up.

Which meant he had to deal with the crazy mailroom witch. There were rumors about her—the odd noises that would come from her office, the intense stares …. Some even said she was a Seer. Blaise believed none of this nonsense, of course. Still, he made sure to keep quiet.

He walked down the rows of shelves, cursing the fact that he was always at the end. He grabbed the package from his box and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw a face staring at him from the other side of the hole.

"Zabini," the mailroom witch said. "Apple."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Er…you want me to get you one?"

She shook her head and shuffled off.

He hustled out of the mailroom and back to his office. When he got there, his secretary handed him a glass dish.

"Your wife brought you a snack," she said.

It was apple crumble.


	32. Evil

**200- "Oh my, you people are evil"**

Connor Magnus Cadwallader walked through Diagon Alley with a spring in his step. For the first time ever, his parents were allowing him to stay in the wizarding world for the summer. Best yet, he'd landed the job every Hogwarts student dreamed of….

He was an intern at Weasley Wizard Wheezes.

He entered the store and went back to the stock room. It was orientation day, so they'd be back here for most of the time.

George grinned at him from the podium and nodded to a chair between the other two interns. "Morning, Connor. Feel free to have a scone."

Connor reached for the plate, but stopped. "Er…anyone else had one, yet?"

"Well done," Fred said. "You've passed your first test." He waved his wand and another plate came zooming over. "Here are the real ones. We haven't done anything to them."

Connor took one. He nibbled it and, seeing that he wasn't turning blue or anything, relaxed.

"Keep your wits about you," George said. "We'll be subjecting you to all manner of little tricks as we get you acquainted with the store today."

"Oh my, you people are evil," Connor muttered.

"Indeed, my dear Connor. Let's get started!"


	33. Told You

**200- "I told you not to do that!"**

Andromeda scowled at the party guests. The extent to which she didn't want to be here equaled her refusal to leave before Bellatrix got good and drunk. It was always a torturous decision. Her sister was the most entertaining drunk in the world. She downed her glass of wine, and felt a sharp shock on her side a second later.

"I've told you not to do that!" her mother hissed.

"You let Bella do it."

"Bella does not chug her drinks like a common Muggle," Drusilla snapped. "You will behave properly, or you will go upstairs."

"Yes, Mother," Andromeda said.

The older witch nodded, and put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "What do you think of Malfoy?" she asked, in what was obviously supposed to be a friendly tone.

"I think he's a cowardly git," Andromeda muttered.

Drusilla sighed. "Must you make everything so difficult?"

"Give him to Narcissa. She'd love to marry him."

"And who shall I arrange for my middle daughter, I wonder?"

_Ted_, Andromeda thought. She was smart enough to keep it to herself. "Mother, I apologize. I'm just not feeling well this evening. May I be excused?"

Her mother's face softened a fraction. "Of course."


	34. Oregano

**200- "Oregano"**

Lily Potter made sure her brothers were not apt to hurt themselves before grabbing her traveling cloak. She picked up her broom and stepped out into the garden. She really hoped she didn't get in trouble for this.

Twenty cold minutes later, she touched down in her uncle's garden, nearly missing the roses. She rang the doorbell a few times, and stood back.

"Lily?" Hermione yelped, opening the door. "What on earth?"

"Mum and Dad are gone on a mission, and Sirius and Albus are acting…strange," she said.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked, coming into the hallway.

"I'm not sure," Lily said. "Sirius and Albus Apparated into town to get dinner. They brought back these weird looking brownies for dessert."

"Weird looking? How?"

"They had green stuff in them. Albus said the kid at the counter said it was oregano or something."

Hermione stifled a laugh. "Talking really slow? Seem sleepy?"

"Yeah! And when I left they were debating why a love seat is called a love seat."

This time Hermione did laugh.

"Hermione! This is serious," Ron said. "What if they've been jinxed?"

She shook her head. "No worries, Lily. I'll get it sorted."

"You know what's wrong?"

"Oh yeah."


	35. Hidden Life

**200- Hidden Life (Harry/Ginny; Harry/Pansy)  
**

He'd found out when the boy turned five. His night of indiscretion had given him a son—a son that was truly his own. He loved Sirius, but he knew…. He'd always known, since he first set eyes on the boy's strawberry blonde hair. But when he ran into Pansy that day with her son, he knew just as certainly that the boy was his. And she hadn't denied it.

So it began. The weekend "missions"—excuses to see the two of them. The unexplained expenses coming out of his and Ginny's Gringotts account. The excuses to miss Sirius' Quidditch matches. His hidden life. But it could only go on that way for so long.

"I have to tell Ginny," he said. "And Sirius."

"Oh, I can't wait to hear how that goes…." Pansy said.

"It's nothing to joke about. We can't go on this way. Andros goes to Hogwarts next year, and look at him! Everyone will know he's a Potter. I just…I just don't want them to be blindsided."

Pansy nodded. "I understand. Do you want to take him with you?"

"Not…not just yet. I need to give them time to accept it."

She sighed. "Fine. Good luck."


	36. The Country

**200- The Country (Ron/Hermione)  
**

It wasn't ideal. It wasn't anything they were used to. But it was nice, and inexpensive. And it got them away from London.

"Do you want anything to eat?" she asked quietly. Something about being out in the country—away from the noise of the city—had made them both quiet.

"I could do with something," he said. "What can I help you with?"

She smiled and waved her wand. Vegetables came flying over from their sacks. "You chop and I'll get the meat ready."

He nodded, and got to work. Magic made everything go faster, luckily, and a few minutes later the stew was cooking over the fire.

"Oi," he said, pulling her into his lap. "You know we can't stay here forever, right?"

"I know. We have to go back…help Harry. And I…."

"You need to go find your parents."

She was quiet for a long moment, staring at the fire. "What if they're happy? What if the lives they have now are the ones they couldn't have because of me?"

Ron was quiet for a moment. "Could be true, but it probably isn't. They may not remember you, but I know they'll feel something missing. I would."


	37. Coffee

**200- Coffee**

Alicia felt fantastic! She'd been so productive today, cleaning the entire house, balancing their bank account, shopping, sending treat packages to the kids at Hogwarts, fixing the broken sink, getting two articles in to the Prophet, and she even had dinner on the table. She was unstoppable!

Charlie came through the door, whistling merrily. He stopped short, noticing the spotless house. Their house was never spotless. "Ali?" he called, still frozen on the mat.

"Hi, Charlie-bear!" she chirped, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Take your boots off, please. I just waxed and I don't want mud and dragon dung on the floor."

"Er…sure. Are we having guests?"

"Nope. It's just us."

He watched her literally skip back into the kitchen, and followed after removing his shoes. He spotted something on the counter that offered explanation as to why his normally calm wife was acting like a Kneezle on crack. "Love?"

"Hmm?" she asked, stirring the soup in time to the music that was playing.

"Exactly how much of this coffee did you drink today?"

"Two pots. It's delicious! You'll have to remind Hermione to pick up some more for us next time she's in Bolivia."

Charlie chuckled. Mystery solved.


	38. Pancakes

**200- Pancakes**

Fred Weasley II hadn't gotten the pranking gene. It was weird, actually. That gift for mischief had completely skipped the entire family, with the exception of Albus and Hugo.

"Right," Hugo said, trying not to cry. "You're graduating. I tried to break into the teachers' offices and mess with your grades so you had to stay another year, but it looks like it can't be helped."

"Aw, thanks mate," Albus said, grinning.

"Anyway, we have one last chance to prank the trousers off of Hogwarts as a team. And I've recruited a bit of help this time."

"I hope not Scorp. Poor lad can't keep a secret worth—wait, you're not serious about the trousers thing, are you?"

Hugo grinned. "No. But it's going to be good."

"Lead on, dear cousin."

* * *

Hugo had had the decency to not disrupt the actual ceremony, but all bets were off for the reception.

"WHY ARE THERE PANCAKES EVERYWHERE?" McGonagall lamented. "What's going on with those elves?"

Albus sniggered into his bite of pancake. The headmistress glared at him. "Sorry, Professor. But it is kind of funny."

"You wouldn't be behind this?"

"Course not," he said. When she turned, he winked at Hugo.


	39. Google

**200- Google**

"What is it with this kid and being naked all the time?"

"No idea. Wrestle him into some clothes?"

"Sure. Hey, I still need you to tell me how to make the dessert for tonight."

"Ron, I don't have time. I have to drop the kids off at playgroup, and then give Kingsley and the board a briefing."

"But I don't know how to make any of the stuff!"

"Google it, Ron!"

"Hermione!" he gasped, covering his son's ears.

She laughed. "It's a computer program. Just click on Firefox, and it'll come up. Type your question into the box and you'll get a list of answers. I've got to go. Come on, Hugo!"

Hermione came back hours later to find the house smelling wonderful. Obviously Ron had figured it out. She found him asleep on the desk and looked at the computer. Curiosity getting the better of her, she clicked on the internet's history icon.

_Cure for early onset baldness._

_How do airplanes stay up?_

_How to make roast beef with vegetables._

_How to make lemon cake._

_Is there really such thing as a G-spot?_

_How to build a car. _

_Harry Potter's porn career. _

Her laughter woke him up.


	40. If You Asked Me To

**200- If You Asked Me To**

Ron woke up early and stretched. He smiled down at the woman sleeping next to him. He never got to watch her sleep. Usually, when she stayed the night, she was gone early the next day. He ran a hand down her back, gently tracing the scars there. Scars from the war that brought down Voldemort, and from her own personal war afterward. She shivered and turned over.

"What time is it?"

"Round seven," he said. "What shall I make for breakfast?"

"You can't cook and you know it, Ronald Weasley," she teased.

He smiled and snuggled close to her. "Hey…why don't you stay?"

"What do you mean?" she asked through a yawn.

"You know…move in?"

She glanced up at him, then back down. "You know—"

"I know you're scared. I know…you feel like you just got your life back. But answer me something. Do I make you feel safe?"

"Yes."

"Do I make you feel loved?"

"Yes."

"Then let's make it official. No more hiding…no more pretending this isn't happening. Please?"

She was quiet for a moment. Then she smiled. "Okay. So long as you let me teach you how to cook."

He grinned. "Anything you want, Pansy."


	41. Jazz Club

**200- Jazz Club**

"Fancy seeing you here."

"Wotcher, Johnson. Hell of a game you lot played on Thursday."

"Thanks. Can I ask what you're doing in the middle of a Muggle jazz club on a Saturday night?"

"I'll tell if you do. What are you drinking?"

"Vodka black with Sprite. I'm here to see a friend. Our families were always close. She's the sax player."

Tonks looked to the stage, where the band was playing a faster number. "She's good."

"So….?"

"So?"

"You don't usually slum it in Muggle London," Angelina said, giving her a playful nudge. "What's up?"

"I come to jazz clubs when I need to relax—get away from the craziness for a while. Being reassigned to a desk job…. Don't get me wrong, I stay busy, and it's interesting work. Still, day after day of the bureaucratic nonsense…. A lady's just got to escape after a while."

"I hear you. Get your mind off of spells and sparks for a bit and just…be calm."

"Exactly."

They listened in comfortable silence as the band played a slower number. When they'd finished, Angelina turned to Tonks.

"They're playing again next week. Will you be here?"

Tonks smiled. "Sure. Wouldn't miss it."


	42. Again

**200- Again (Song by Flyleaf)**

When he'd been small, when he'd still looked up to his father with wonder and fear, Draco had dreamed of sitting here. He'd slip into the office sometimes and sit on the couch—dreaming of being the head of the Malfoy family.

Now…well, it was just one more firm reality check. There were letters from the Ministry. Letters upon letters demanding restitution for families Lucius had blackmailed, threatened, or otherwise injured over the years. Summons to hearings for his involvement in the war…. Everything felt like it was crushing down on him. Nothing was simple anymore.

He walked over to the cabinet. He had no idea what these drinks were, but he needed one no matter what it was. Not bothering to get a glass, he took the bottle back to the desk with him.

* * *

The sun was too bright. He squinted up at the girl sitting beside him. "Astoria?"

"Care to tell me why you nearly poisoned yourself last night?"

"Wasn't alcohol?"

"No. Not remotely."

"What…what happened?"

"Your father caught you taking pulls from a bottle of his finest matured belladonna poison. He brought you here."

Draco wished Lucius had just left him to die in the study.


	43. What's Love Got to Do with It

**200- What's Love Got to Do with It **

He caught her hand as she made to get out of bed. "Stay a while longer?"

"Why?"

"Because you always leave first thing. At least let me attempt to be a gentleman. I'll make breakfast."

She smiled at him and bent down for a kiss. "I can't," she said. "The forces of evil wait for no witch."

He chuckled. "You expect me to believe you're running off to work at…five a.m.?"

"Yes."

"It's just breakfast," he said, sitting up in bed. "What are you so worried about?"

"That you'll want more that 'just breakfast' soon."

"What's that even mean?"

"It means that this is just sex, Seamus. We agreed that this was physical, nothing more."

"And this means I can't make breakfast for you, because…?"

"Because that's how it starts. Breakfast, then lunches out, then dates, then at some point it all just stops. I like what we have now. I don't want to ruin it."

Seamus sighed. "Right. Sorry, I was being needy."

"No you weren't. You were being sweet. But sweet isn't what I need from you. I'll see you in a few days." She grabbed her cloak and headed out the door without another word.

"Bye, Ginny."


	44. Manifesto

**200- Manifesto**

Blaise sat completely still, eyes lowered to the table.

"You are a smart boy, and a pureblood…. Yet you do not take the Mark," Voldemort whispered.

"Yes, my lord."

"Why is that? Surely there can be no greater honor…."

"But do you think I'm worthy of such an honor?"

Voldemort chuckled and sat down across from Blaise. "Worthiness. And fear. Tell me Blaise, what is it you fear?"

"Failing you."

The Dark Lord was quiet for a moment, staring at him. "You will not be required to take the Mark. I have other plans for you."

"Yes, my lord?"

"As I understand it, you have a good relationship with members of other Houses besides Slytherin. You will be in charge of youth recruitment. You will write a…manifesto of sorts for your Hogwarts fellows. And you will make sure that they are in the right…frame of mind, when the time comes."

Blaise sat there, shaking. He couldn't bring himself to respond, so he nodded, hoping that was good enough.

"You may leave. And Blaise?" Voldemort called when the boy was halfway to the door. "Do not presume to lie to me again. You greatest fear is of losing your mother. Go."


	45. Invalid

**200- Invalid**

"I'm the brightest witch of my age. Your argument is invalid."

"I'm Harry Potter. Your argument is invalid."

"I'm the reason you lived to see your 18th birthday. Your argument is invalid. Give me back the chocolate chips!"

"I'm the reason any of you lived to see my 18th birthday! Your argument is invalid."

"I brewed Polyjuice Potion in our second year. Your argument is invalid."

"I figured out the Basilisk shit in our second year. Your argument is invalid. Knock that off!"

"Actually I figured that out. So you're now doubly invalid."

"Doubly invalid means I'm valid. Your argument is invalid."

"You're an obnoxious, self-absorbed man child, Harry Potter. Your argument is invalid. Stop throwing flour at me!"

"You're an arrogant know it all. Super invalid."

"I stole your girlfriend. Your argument is invalid."

"I got her back in the end. So there. Invalid. I need that whisk!"

"I dance better than you. You're so invalid it's not even funny."

"Are they always like this?" Pansy whispered to Ron.

"Yep."

"But they're arguing over…how to make a cake…?"

"You get used to it," he said, smiling. "Come on, let's go see if Ginny and George want to play Snap."


	46. Vampire

**200- Vampire**

Harry still had nightmares about that place. The chaos, the suffocating feeling of the air…. The screams…. And Ron. Any nightmares he had about the mission itself didn't even begin to compare with the memory of telling Hermione. He shuddered, and walked farther down the hall.

It was their fiftieth mission, and it was supposed to have been easy. They hadn't counted on finding a nest of vampires. A few people had been killed in the mad scramble to get out, and it had looked like they were all goners until Ron had brought down a wall of rocks and debris, trapping himself in with the bloodsuckers.

When Harry had found him later, he was one of them. They'd brought him back to the Department of Mysteries, where a few Unknowables were working to find a cure. He'd watched them put his best mate into a cage, and heard Ron's shuddering breath as the metal door closed.

"Don't tell Hermione. Tell her… tell her I died."

But she'd seen right through him. She'd begged him to tell her the truth. And each day after, she went with him to see her husband, the newborn vampire.

"How is he?"

"Nothing's changed."


	47. Tower

**200- Tower**

Freddie Weasley slipped into a hallway off the Transfiguration corridor and wandered in silence. He much preferred exploring the castle on his own. The rest of his year didn't care to go wandering anyway. Ravenclaws were odd like that. They preferred books over experiences. But that was fine with him. He didn't need his House. He had Teddy and the rest of the Slytherins. They weren't a bad lot.

He stopped and turned to his left. This was a new door—and he was pretty sure it hadn't been there before. He jumped when a hand grabbed him. "Merlin's purple knickers!"

"Really have to teach you to pay attention to your surroundings," Teddy laughed. "What's in there?"

"Dunno. Want to have a look with me?"

"Lead on, captain."

Freddie tapped the door handle with his wand and pushed it open. "It's another tower."

"Ever think this place is actually bigger than it looks on the outside…?" Teddy mused.

"All the time."

They climbed the stairs for what felt like an hour, and came to another door. Freddie scrubbed the dust off the plaque. "The Room of Lost Wands."

"No way."

"Reckon I just found my favorite room of the castle."


	48. Bundle

**200- Bundle**

Tonks closed her eyes, panting hard, as her mother wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Well done," Andromeda said, chuckling. "He's a big boy."

"Ten pounds even," Parvati said quietly. She'd been hiding at the Tonks' house after running from the Snatchers. She handed the bundle she was holding to Tonks. "And completely perfect."

"What will we call him?" Andromeda asked.

"Teddy. Teddy Remus Lupin."

Andromeda frowned, but didn't say anything. A second later, her smile returned. "I'm sure your father would be proud. I'm going to make tea. Parvati?"

"Coming Mrs. Tonks." She gave Tonks a soft hug and followed the older woman out of the room.

Tonks stared down at the little boy. He looked like her when she was relaxed and unmorphed. She smiled when he sneezed and his hair changed color. "Mum!"

"What is it? Is everything okay?" Andromeda asked, running in.

"Fine, but your grandson is colorful."

"Come again?" Andromeda made her way around the bed, laughing. "Oh goodness, another one." She paused for a moment. "There's activity outside the wards."

Tonks looked up, panicked. "Do we have to leave?"

"It's Remus. Shall I…?"

"No," Tonks said. "He should meet Teddy. He's still his father."


	49. Fight

**200- Fight**

It was only the fifth day of school, but both first years were already missing home. It didn't help that both of them had the attention of the whole school. They'd found out the first day that they couldn't walk down the hall without whispers following them.

"It's the other Potter."

"Is that…_his_ son?"

"Why are they together? Shouldn't they hate each other?"

"Wasn't his dad a Death Eater?"

They hadn't left each other's side since they'd been sorted into Slytherin. Albus kept a particularly sharp lookout for anyone who'd give them trouble.

"Look, it's the Death Eater and the Mini Savior. Love really does conquer all!" a third year Ravenclaw shouted.

Albus held Scorpius back as the blond tried to launch himself at the kid.

"You shut your fat mouth," he said, struggling to keep hold of Scorpius.

"Shut your own, Potter. Stop trying to play the hero. Everyone knows you're the son Harry didn't want."

* * *

Harry hummed as he poured tea for himself and Ginny. He looked up at the window, hearing tapping. He let the owl in, and took the letter. "Ginny?"

"Yeah?"

"We have to go up to the school. Albus was in a fight."


	50. Magazine

**200- Magazine**

"Evening, Luna," Pansy said, passing her a drink.

"Hello, Pansy. I heard about your promotion. Congratulations."

"Thanks. It's been incredible so far, but I'm only six days in."

"I'm sure you'll do fine."

"So…you wanted to talk to me about something?"

"I want you to buy The Quibbler."

"Come again?"

"Rolf and I are going traveling. I don't know the next time we'll be back in England, and I want to know that the magazine is left in good hands."

"Why not Hermione?" Pansy asked. "She writes too."

"For the Prophet. And come on…she's never taken The Quibbler seriously. Except when it was benefitting Harry. You may not agree with the things we print, but you'd know how to incorporate it into Witch Weekly."

Pansy thought for a second. "You're sure about this?"

"Completely."

"What would you want me to do?"

"Keep it the same. Theories and speculation," Luna said, smiling. "It wouldn't have to be a separate entity… just so long as it's there."

The former Slytherin nodded. "You've got yourself a deal, Lovegood. I'll get someone to take over the Quibb's office, and make sure they keep your staff on."

"Thanks, Pansy."

"You be careful out there, Luna."


	51. Spade

**200- Spade (Hermione/Ginny)  
**

Ginny tossed the spade away in disgust. Gardening had never been her favorite thing to do, but now that she had her own home she'd figured she would give it another go.

Three rose bushes and two apple trees later, she was ready to throw in the sponge.

"Lemonade?"

"Thanks, Hermione," she said, waddling over to her wife. She'd definitely been kneeling in the dirt for too long; everything was sore. "It might all grow in wonky, but at least I got it planted."

"I'm sure it's going to look fantastic. What brought this on? I thought you said you wanted the kids to be able to mudslide through the garden without worrying about hitting anything."

Ginny sipped her drink quietly.

That was explanation enough for Hermione. "…Merlin's shorts, you had lunch with your mum today, didn't you?"

"It may have been suggested that since I'm dodging the essence of femininity by joining a Quidditch team and not being a stay-at-home mother, that I at least have a garden a mother can be proud of."

If Hermione had rolled her eyes any harder, they would've come out. "Let's go wash up for dinner, and you can tell me about it."


	52. Exam

**200- Exam**

There were things in this world that made Ron nervous.

Spiders.

Hermione scowling at him.

His Aunt Muriel's tuna casserole.

But nothing made him more nervous than staring down a group of people who expected him to prove that he was as good as Harry. Fact was, he wasn't—not by a long shot at anything except predicting Quidditch scores. But that didn't stop people from expecting him to be Harry Lite.

"Cadwallader," he said, shaking the Head Auror's hand.

"Weasley," the older man said pleasantly. "Have a seat."

Ron sat, wiping his hands on his pants.

"Obviously you know that the Auror exam was just protocol. We know of your work during the war…."

"But…?"

"We're concerned about the way you'd…mesh with the department. You're not exactly used to working within regulations."

"Neither is Harry."

"Potter's different."

As always.

"We want you to take home your results and get back to us. Think hard about whether you want to spend your life doing this."

* * *

"Hey Ronnikins."

"When are you going to stop calling me that?" Ron asked, smiling.

"When you stop being younger than me," George said. "So…?"

Ron nodded. "I'll take that job at the shop."

"Wicked."


	53. Saucer

**200- Saucer**

There was a commotion outside and Harry cringed. He and Tonks shared a glance. The decision to move into a Muggle neighborhood was proving to be a bad one. With two competitive almost Hogwarts-aged boys, keeping accidental magic to a low was a full time job.

"It's your turn," Tonks said, going back to her book.

"Right…I'll be back. Let's hope I don't have to authorize a memory wipe tonight." He set his tea cup down on its saucer and went quickly to the front door. "Teddy, James!" he called, marching over.

Teddy was helping James up from the ground and glaring at the other three boys who stood around them.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"Nothing, Mr. Potter," one of the boys said.

"He pushed James," Teddy grumbled.

"Yeah, well…James was being a freak again," one of the others grumbled.

"Why don't you lot go on home," Harry said, glaring at them slightly.

The boys didn't stay to argue. They turned and ran down the street.

"What was it this time?" Harry asked wearily.

"I sneezed and the ball started bouncing. I can't help it!"

"I know. It's okay. Let's go back inside before your hair starts changing color."


	54. Dance

**200- Dance**

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?" Albus asked, pulling out a chair so his brother could sit down.

"I'm the champion. I should be crawling with lasses—"

"Perhaps if you didn't talk about them like they're bugs?"

"But instead I'm stuck alone. It's three days to the dance! Everyone's holding out for you…" he added, slightly bitter. "How do you do it?"

"I don't try as hard. I hang round with everyone, and they're my friends."

"Who are you going with?"

"That, dear brother, is my little secret. Now piss off; I need to study."

Harry woke up Christmas morning feeling a little low. His kids were all at Hogwarts for the break, so this would be the first Christmas they spent apart. He went downstairs to start the tea while Ginny slept. The paper was already on the mat. Picking it up, he nearly swallowed his tongue.

There, in the corner, was a tiny picture of the champions and their dates. However most of the front page had been given to his younger son.

**A Christmas Match: Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy Attend the Yule Ball Together.**

He'd definitely be putting some Firewhiskey in his tea….


	55. Bank

**200- Bank**

The best thing about searching Bellatrix's mind, he'd found, was that he didn't have to worry. Others…their loyalty wavered. There was always something they were hiding. Always a fear of him that made part of them unreliable. But Bellatrix was different. He knew with utmost certainty that every time he looked at her he'd see devotion—a readiness to do his will.

The tavern was cold, even the roaring fire did nothing for the deep chill. Still, she sat attentively in front of him without a cloak, having rushed to his side at his request.

"Show me your arm," he whispered.

She held out her left arm, displaying the tattoo. It still had the fresh, raw look to it.

"This Mark means service. Are you ready to serve, Bellatrix?"

"Yes, my Lord," she said breathlessly. "Of course."

"I have secrets I need keeping. And I know you will do this. Your family is old…pure. You have a vault in the depths of Gringotts bank, correct?"

"Indeed, my Lord."

"You will store this there." He handed her a small velvet sack. It contained a golden cup. "It is…" he paused, chuckling, "close to my soul. Do this—then return here."


	56. Lipstick

**200- Lipstick**

Tonks had managed lipstick and a dress—and that was all they were getting from her that night. One of the things about making it to the other side of war was that people expected things from you. Working for the government, people expected you to grieve in public; to be the face of their own grief. Which was why the Ministry was holding all sorts of charity benefits and "remembrance dinners". The problem was, Tonks didn't want to be Auror Number Two- Lost Her Husband, in the Ministry's roll call of despair.

"Mum?" she called, walking into the living room. She smiled, spotting her mother on the couch with her son. "Is he asleep?"

"Getting there. Take a deep breath, love," Andromeda said. "I can tell you're nervous."

"I hate these things."

Andromeda nodded. One of the few things her daughter had inherited from her side of the family was her deeply private nature. "I know. But this is the last one, right?"

"Until they decide to give the public another dose of sympathy."

"If they do, you'll miss it. You, Teddy and I are going on holiday."

Tonks smiled and nodded. It would be good to get away.


	57. Chewing Gum

**200- Chewing Gum**

Neville flinched as he heard the sound behind him again. This had to be a new thing. He thought back to his Hogwarts days…had it been a problem back then?

There it was again. It was really starting to grate on his nerves.

And again.

He turned from repotting a few Flutterby bushes and cleared his throat. "Whoever has chewing gum in their mouths…would you be so kind as to dispose of it? I can't tell if that's you or if the Snapping Tulips are pollinating."

There were giggles as he turned back around. He went back to repotting the plants.

There it was again.

And again….

He turned and glared at the class, who all stifled giggles. With a sigh, he decided he'd have to get creative again. Being the youngest professor meant he occasionally had to come up with slightly underhanded methods (a.k.a. lie) of keeping the students in line.

He ignored the snapping and popping for the rest of class.

* * *

When the students got to the greenhouses the next day, they found a sign in place:

_**Due to an unfortunate incident involving the Venemous Tentacula, chewing gum is no longer permitted on the greenhouse grounds.**_


	58. Chimney

**200- Chimney**

Harry had long since given up trying to explain Muggle traditions and things to Ron. The last time he had, it had led to Ron locking himself in the bathroom with Hermione's laptop for ages doing research. But he'd forgotten himself this time. In the spirit of giving his kids the type of Christmas he'd always wished for, he'd gone full out—including Santa gifts. This, however, meant that he had to explain the concept of Santa to Ron, who found the whole thing quite hilarious.

"Let me get this straight…" he said. "Muggles tell their kids that once a year, some random fat bastard sneaks down their chimney, leaves gifts, and eats some food they've left for him."

"That's basically it, yes."

"And everyone's just okay with this? What if someone sneaks into the house any other time of the year? What if some random fat man tries to give them presents on the street—"

"It's a holiday thing," Harry said, laughing. "They know that he doesn't wander about at other times of the year."

"Why would everyone leave pudding for him? That can't help the chimney-crawling thing. Why wouldn't they leave something healthy?"

"Merlin, never mind, Ron."

_**LbN: Taking requests!**_


	59. Comics

**200- Comics**

Freddie Weasley hated the holidays. He hated coming home to watch his family dissolve in front of him. The only good thing was that he got to see his sister. And since she was headed to Hogwarts with him this year, they had plenty to talk about—to keep them occupied during the storm.

The timer on the counter rang, and he switched it off quickly. Not that his parents would've heard over their shouting match. He frosted two cupcakes and stuck them on a plate. Quietly, he crept upstairs and knocked on his sister's door. "Roxanne?"

She was huddled on her bed, obviously trying not to cry. "They didn't even remember my birthday," she said.

"I did!" he said brightly, holding out the cupcakes. He waved his wand and a bag came flying in. "Even got you a present."

She wiped her eyes and hugged him. "Thanks, Freddie."

"Go on, then."

She pulled two limited edition Quidditch comics out of the bag and gasped. "HOW?"

"Magic," he said cheekily.

The shouting downstairs increased in volume, and they heard things being thrown. Freddie shut the door. He sat across the bed from Roxanne and they ate the cupcakes in silence.


	60. Pictures

**200- Pictures**

Colin's parents were devastated. Molly and Arthur tried to comfort them as much as they could, but the loss of their oldest son was crushing. The group made their way up to Gryffindor Tower, but Mr. Creevey crumpled, sobbing, as soon as they got to the common room.

Dennis put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Dad," he said, hollowly. "Stay here. Ginny? Will you help me?"

She nodded and followed him up to the sixth year boys' dorm. One of the walls had been blasted in, but they made it over to Collin's bed without much trouble. There wasn't much to pack. Dennis checked the night table for anything, and found a large photo album in the drawer. "His collection," he said, sitting on the bed.

Ginny sat down next to him as he flipped through the pages. "It stops at fifth year. Why?"

"The Carrows caught him with his camera at the beginning of this year. They made him develop the pictures, in case there was anything incriminating. There wasn't, but he stopped taking them anyway. He said he didn't want to catch anything and get anyone in trouble."

Ginny nodded. "Come on; let's get back downstairs."


	61. Memories

**200- Memories**

"There was one time where I was on observation in Cambodia and got attacked by a goose…. That was a fun day."

"What were you doing in Cambodia?" James asked. He looked up from his Potions homework and quirked an eyebrow at his godmother.

"There had been a string of cursed tea pots and Muggle printers coming out of there. Kingsley, Duncan and I went over to do recon," Tonks answered.

James loved staying over here, and he always requested Auror stories while he wrote. It made time go faster. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Always."

"How come you're okay with talking about all of this?" he asked, finally setting down his quill. "Dad hates it when we ask him about work stuff."

Tonks sighed. "It's different. I went into the Auror department because I wanted to. I wanted to help make a difference. It was my choice. Your dad had this life chosen for him. And my memories are varied. Some are happy, funny, sad, scary…. Almost all of Harry's, I'm willing to bet, are awful. I'm just talking about my career…he's talking about a destiny he was forced to fulfill."

He nodded, grateful for a straightforward answer.


	62. Misunderstanding

**200- Misunderstanding**

Every kid in the neighborhood knew to stay away from Mrs. Gleeson's garden. She was the meanest thing around, and she hated kids. Unfortunately, Albus lived right next door to her.

He walked back from town one evening, eating a jam doughnut and carrying his plastic sack of Gobstones. When he got to his street, he wiped his hands on his jeans and chewed his last bite of doughnut, thinking hard. Gleeson couldn't yell, or throw mulch at him, or call him a freak if he ran past. So he did.

It was a good idea until he tripped, spilling his Gobstones everywhere. "No!"

"POTTER! What are you doing on my property?" Gleeson screeched.

"N-nothing, ma'am. Just tripped."

"A likely stor—Argh!" she yelled as a Gobstone sprayed her in the eye.

"Anything the matter?" a soft voice asked.

"Dad!"

"You! This boy has assaulted me!"

"I didn't! It was my Gob—my marbles. I fell."

Harry smiled at Mrs. Gleeson. "Just a misunderstanding. Are you quite alright, ma'am?"

"Hmmph! Just keep your pack of hoodlums off my property."

"Of course." When her back was turned, he waved his wand, summoning all the marbles back into the bag. "Let's go."


	63. Azkaban

**200- Azkaban**

Frost covered the window in the dawn light. Draco stretched and swung his feet over the edge of the bed. He shivered. Anxiety filled him, but he pushed it down, forcing himself out of bed. Slowly, he washed and dressed, checking the time every few minutes. Even with the Dementors gone, this place was horrible. He'd been here for an entire week while his trial proceeded. Potter and spoken up for him, and his mum, but they'd still kept them here until sentencing. That was today. Even though Potter had turned up the night before and assured him that he wouldn't have to stay in Azkaban, Draco couldn't help feeling that he'd end up here somehow. That this was Potter's big joke—payback for their school years.

He grabbed his coat off the hanger and stooped to tie his shoes.

Fifteen minutes later, a guard called his name, and his cell door opened. The burly man set a tray of porridge and fruit in front of him, and handed him a bottle of water.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me."

Draco sighed. Even if he did get out, this was what he'd be for the rest of his life. A criminal.


	64. Squib

**200- Squib**

Harry fastened the Velcro on the back of Albus's costume and looked at his son. "There. All finished. What is it?" he asked, smiling at Albus's frown.

"I don't want to be in the parade," Albus mumbled, looking down.

"Why on earth not? You've been looking forward to it all year!"

Albus looked around at the other kids, but didn't answer.

Harry sighed. He'd been worried about this. "Al…no one's testing you or anything today. Victory Day isn't about magic—it's about celebrating."

"What if I am a squib?" Albus whispered.

"You're only 8 years old, mate," Neville said, walking up. "I didn't show any magic until I was ten."

"Could we have all the children over here, please? One line, that's it…" the attendant called.

Albus waved and got in line.

Harry and Neville wandered back out to where Ginny and Hannah were waiting.

"You get the others off okay?" Harry asked.

"Fine."

"Al's worried he's a squib," Harry said as the parade started.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "James."

"I'll have a talk with him."

Everything was great until Albus sneezed. The front of their float went up in flames, and kids scattered.

"Well, that's that sorted," Neville quipped.


	65. Domaine

**200- Domain**

Scorpius moved through the kitchen with a type of grace that people normally associated with dance. At the ripe old age of five, he'd learned that the easiest way to stay away from the press and relatives he'd rather avoid was to keep to the kitchen. Now, at fifteen, it was his favorite spot in the house. This was his domain—his sanctuary. He could come here whenever he needed to think and be reasonably sure that no one would bother him.

Usually.

He pulled the chicken from the oven and greeted the intruders without turning. "Evening Father, Grandfather."

"Don't you have servants for this sort of thing, Draco?" Lucius asked. "It's not healthy for a boy his age to be hanging on apron strings in the kitchen."

"Oh Grandfather," Scorpius said playfully. "Malfoy men don't 'hang' onto anything. We lead. Isn't that what you've always taught me? Here, try a carrot." He popped it into Lucius's mouth before the man could respond. Smiling, he fixed two large tumblers of Firewhiskey, and handed them to the men. "Dinner will be done soon; if you could call the ladies?"

Draco smiled at his son and led his father from the room.


	66. Waffles

**200- Waffles**

Draco looked over at his cousin, confused. "Waffle Hut?" he asked. "What's a waffle?"

"Er…it's sort of like an American pancake with sections," Tonks answered, ushering him inside. "Don't worry—they're delicious."

"And are they large?" he asked quietly, sliding into a booth. "I think I've gained twenty pounds on this mission. How do Americans stay fit?"

"Most of them don't." Their American liason, Tristan, came over at that moment and slid into the booth next to Tonks, grinning. "How are my favorite British citizens doing this fine morning?"

"Great," Tonks said.

"Anxiously awaiting my first waffle," Draco joked.

"Should be out any minute here," she said. "I already ordered for us. And the Governor of the East Coast Wizards' Summit told me to tell you thanks for your hard work on the case. He's glad he can still count on the Ministry of Magic."

"He's very welcome," Tonks said.

Their food came out and Draco stared down at it. "This it?"

"Yep," Tristan said.

He picked up the bottle of syrup and gingerly squeezed it a few times.

"Er…what're you doing, mate?" Tonks adked.

"Trying to get syrup in every other hole."

Tristan laughed and Tonks shook her head.


	67. Infidelity

**_LbN: This is my personal head canon. :)_  
**

**200- Infidelity**

One of the stranger outcomes of the war was something absolutely no one could've predicted. Well, most people had predicted a baby boom. But the thing about getting through a war where more than half the major players are hormonal teenagers is that they have a rather large 'live for today' complex after of the madness.

Thus, Harry and mates had been termed "The Infidelity Generation". Most thought this was unfair, but as Neville tried to sort out a chart of all the interrelated children at Hogwarts, he was starting to think it was an accurate title.

"Wait, Longbottom," McGonagall said. "Go over that last bit again, if you'd be so kind."

"Lidia and Conrad Finnigan and Albus and Lily Potter are and Max Tonks are half brothers, and they're half brothers to the Potters as well. And because of the sheer amount of them, when in doubt, assume everyone's related to a Weasley."

"Merlin," Morgan, the new Charms professor muttered.

"What about Malfoy?"

"He's the worst. Scorpius is his with Astoria, Dylan is his with Pansy, Bastian is his with Ginny, and Profirio is his with Angelina…."

McGonagall pinched the bridge of her nose. Retirement was looking fantastic.


	68. Compass

**200- Compass**

Wizard Scouts was one of things the Ministry created to bring unity to the community after the war. The thinking was that if the kids were all friends from a young age, their parents couldn't fight. It worked…most of the time.

"For crying out loud, Scorpius!"

"Shut it, Lily!"

"Don't talk to my sister like that!" Albus snapped.

"Would all of you stop it while I check the compass?" Frank Longbottom shouted.

That made them shut up. Frank never raised his voice.

"Blimey," Conrad Finnigan gasped, stumbling through the undergrowth towards the group. "I reckon we're lost, chaps."

"No, really?" Fred Weasley the Second said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, I thought we were right on track…." Joffrey Zabini added.

"We are," Frank said. "It's just to the west of us. Come on."

Sure enough, as they crested another hill, they saw the tents all set up for them.

"Ah, wonderful," Scorpius said. "Now all we have to do is build a fire."

"Easy," Rose told him. She dragged Albus over to the fire pit, opened one of the packets of pepper from the picnic basket, and waved it under his nose.

Albus gave a mighty sneeze, setting the sticks ablaze.

_**LbN: Still taking requests! Leave a review! :)**_


	69. Planet

**200- Planet**

Dean glanced through the telescope and looked back down at his book. Sinistra hadn't assigned any homework, but stargazing took his mind off of things. Making a couple of notes in his journal, he focused his telescope again and moved to the next constellation. He glanced through the tube, then to his book, and back to the constellation. Confused, he flipped through the book a few times.

"I think the one you're looking at is Oleg the Obtuse."

Dean whipped around to see Professor Sinistra leaning calmly in the doorway to the stairwell. "Oh…er…thanks. I couldn't find it in the textbook."

"I believe he's a footnote. Shouldn't you be in your dormitory?"

"Wanted to get some extra studying in. I didn't anyone made rounds up here."

"I sometimes check the tower to make sure no students are using it for…inappropriate purposes."

Dean pulled a face and busied himself with putting his telescope away.

"Wait just a moment," Sinistra said. She spun the telescope 90 degrees, and tilted it higher. "Take a look."

"What is that?" Dean asked, spotting a bright blue planet.

"Vectyris. Muggles haven't found it yet. Good night, Mr. Thomas."

Dean smiled back at her and packed up.


	70. Punishment

**200- Punishment**

Ginny wandered through the castle, trying to stay out of the Slytherins' line of sight. There seemed to be more of them this year. Now that they (and a few from other houses) could let their cruelty run free, it was like they were multiplying daily. She cradled her hand and peeked around a corner. It was clear. She ran up the stairs and backed into the shadows near a tapestry of two goblins playing chess. She stayed perfectly still and silent as two junior Death Eaters ran past.

A hand snapped over her mouth and she was pulled into a hallway behind the tapestry.

"It's just me."

"Neville?" she whispered.

"You're marked. They're trying to find you right now. Let's move."

They moved silently, swiftly, through the halls—pausing every now and then to listen for footsteps. Finally, after a few tense minutes, they made it to the Room of Requirement.

"How did you know?" she asked, panting and looking around at the rest of the hideaways.

"McGonagall contacted me," Neville said, holding up his DA coin. "Collin said you'd gone to Umbridge's office for…." He spotted her bleeding hand. "Punishment."

"It's not so bad…."

"We'll fix you up."


	71. Rebel

**200- Rebel**

Scorpius tossed his hair out of his eyes and jabbed the toy soldier with his wand again. Finally, it saluted the way it was supposed to and walked back across the windowsill.

"Working again?"

"Morning, Father. Yes, he's working. Finally. I was afraid I'd have to call George Weasley to help me."

Draco smiled and sat on one of the stools in his son's workshop. "Did you get everything for school yet?"

"Yes, Father."

"Don't sound so exasperated," Draco said with a chuckle. "It's your last year. I want you to be prepared. Also, and please don't get upset with me for this as I'm simply relaying a message, Grandfather wants a word with you."

"He always wants words with me."

"Well, you are the rebel in the family. What with the toy making instead of trying to push pureblood rights on the Ministry."

Scorpius snorted as he worked on another toy.

"He…er…."

"He's planning on disinheriting me. I already know. Albus overheard him talking to someone at the Ministry."

Draco was quiet for a moment. "Are you happy doing this?"

"Of course I am. The money doesn't matter to me."

The older man smiled. "That's the boy I raised."


	72. Ink

**200- Ink**

Luxanna Jade Granger wandered through the Hogwarts Express, causally sizing up the rest of the students. She had to be smart about this. She couldn't just go try to be friends with anyone…. That could end up getting her bullied until she left school. No…it had to be calculated. It had to be strategic.

The train rumbled and jerked. She stumbled into a blonde boy who was coming out of the compartment to her left.

"Damn," she mumbled. Her bottle of ink had fallen out of her bag and spilled a bit.

"Here," he said, stooping to pick it up. He waved his wand and cleaned up the spill. Looking up, he started to hand her the ink, then stopped.

Luxanna's mouth dropped open. It was like looking in a mirror.

"What's your surname?" he asked.

"Granger."

"I'm Malfoy. Scorpius Malfoy."

"You're in Potter's year."

"Don't hold it against me…. You look like me."

"Yeah."

"…Are we related?"

"I don't know," she whispered. "I don't know who my father is."

Scorpius was quiet for a moment. "Well…we'll figure it out. Let's proceed as if I am your brother. Come sit with us."

Luxanna smiled and followed him into the compartment.


	73. Hair

**200- Hair**

James was screwed. Completely screwed. He'd been in trouble before, but it had been little things. Normal things that other kids got letters home for. Talking back to teachers…sneaking down to the kitchens…that sort of thing.

Chopping off a girl's hair was not normal.

Sitting in the Headmistress's office, staring at the portraits, he tried to figure out what sort of punishment he'd get for this. Flogging was the first thing that came to mind.

He flinched when he heard the door slam behind him. Without looking around, he knew his parents were there with Headmistress Kane, Carrie Finnigan, and her parents, Seamus and Pansy.

"So…" the Headmistress said once everyone had taken their seats. "I've heard the children's account of what happened…so perhaps James can explain for the parents."

_Bollocks._ "We…we were supposed to be practicing severing charms. And I…I was trying to cut a tapestry in half."

"Why?"

"…Blaise dared me…. Anyway, I missed. I never miss spells. I thought she was out of the way, but…."

The headmistress sat back and steepled her fingers. "What do you think, parents? A term's worth of detention?"

"Preferably writing a long paper on the importance of charm safety," Pansy said.


	74. Psychiatrist

**200- Psychiatrist**

"Your academic record is impressive. I'm particularly inspired by the entrance essay you wrote." The older wizard got up and began to pace, looking at Blaise's file. "Why do you want to explore magical psychiatry?"

"I want to help people. My schoolmates and I didn't have a normal upbringing, shall we say? I think more people will be needed in this field soon."

"But you know what others think of it, yes? Many Muggles find it…they think it's for the weak. Something we do to make money off of telling people that nothing's their fault and that everything will be okay. Wizards hold that same view. Plus, there's very little magic involved, other than some different techniques in relaxation and things. You're setting yourself up for ridicule for doing something you love."

"But I do love it. And I think it's necessary. I think if you need something enough, you stop caring what everyone else thinks, and start looking after yourself. It'll happen."

The old man stared at him for a long moment, then smiled. "Indeed. Well…welcome to your apprenticeship, then. I'm honored to have you along, Mr. Zabini."

Blaise stood and shook the man's hand. "Thank you, Professor Grey."


	75. Tea

**200- Tea**

Albus poured a bit of cream into his coffee and some honey into Scorpius's tea. He looked out over the docks and smiled. "Scorp!" he called into their apartment.

"I'm coming," Scorpius said, stepping out onto the balcony. He pulled his robe around him more tightly and leaned down to kiss Albus. "Morning."

"Morning. I have your tea ready."

"Thanks. Have you sent the letters yet?" he asked, biting into a scone.

"No. I'm terrified, if we're being honest. How do you tell your parents that you've run away to Greece and eloped?"

Scorpius was quiet for a moment while he chewed. He shrugged. "I think our blunt yet loving letters did the trick. We just have to buck up and send them. They deserve to find out from us before the Prophet."

"Your grandfather—"

"No. This is our honeymoon. I don't want to think about him, or our parents, or any consequences until we get back to London."

"Cheers," Albus said, raising his cup.

"Besides, you have a rehearsal to get to in an hour. I want to enjoy breakfast with my rock star husband before he goes to work."

"Suck up."

"You love me."

"That I do."


	76. Thief

**200- Thief**

The thief slid across the ice and barely avoiding slamming onto the ground. He regained his footing and continued running. Past the pubs, and houses, and into the trees. He stopped near a cave and looked back. The wizards' voices were far off. Still, he figured should hide. He moved into the cave, raising his wand to check for animals. There were none. He slipped into the shadows of the cave and waited. Even though his stomach was rumbling, he didn't take out the food he'd stolen. He didn't want the noise of the wrappers to alert the wizards.

"Do you think he went in there?"

"That cave has bears. We checked yesterday—looking for Potter."

"Right. He probably Disapparated by now."

He let out a sigh when their voices finally disappeared. Taking a few deep breaths, he set his bag next to him and lit a small fire. By the light of the flames, he ate his sandwich and dried apricots. He read the Daily Prophet, trying to read between the lines as far as where Harry was. Between all of the scandals and advertisements… it was business as usual. He conjured a blanket and settled down to sleep.


	77. Revenge

**200- Revenge**

The weather was awful that day, as was Draco's temper. He stormed into the manor, tossing his walking stick and cloak to the elf by the door. "Pansy!" he thundered.

"Hi, love," she said hollowly. The charade wasn't kept up all that well unless they were in the company of others. She'd learned that he didn't particularly care if she sounded like she loved him, so long as she obeyed.

"Tell me you made yourself useful today and picked up my things," he grumbled, following her to the dining room.

"Of course, dear. Come sit," she said, indicating the head chair. "How did the voting go? I trust they came to a conclusion."

"Finally," he said, snorting. "Kingsley is still Minister."

Pansy nodded as the elves brought out dinner. "I know you don't enjoy seafood, so I had them make you chicken. It's a French dish."

Draco took a bite. "Better than the spaghetti you tried to serve me yesterday."

Pansy fliched and rubbed her arm. She'd earned a scar from him for that mistake. "I just want you to be happy, love."

Draco snorted again, inhaling his food.

Pansy just watched, and waited for the poison to take effect.


	78. Telescope

**200- Telescope**

It had become their summer habit. Teddy would sneak out first, and Victoire would follow a few minutes later. They set up his telescope at the top of the hill and laid out a blanket.

"Should be a good night," he said, breath coming out in short pants. The hill was a little overgrown now, and struggling up took a little longer.

"Meteor shower and a fairy migration? It's going to be beautiful."

"Yeah," he said, staring at her.

She caught his eye and both of them looked away, blushing.

"It's your last year at Hogwarts," Victoire whispered.

"I'll still be around. I'm going to get a job as a Charms Specialist for the Ministry. Flitwick's already sent a letter recommending me."

"I won't be able to see you every day," she pouted.

"But when you do see me, I'll be able to take you out on a nice date."

"This is a nice date," she said, cuddling into him.

"I'll be around for holidays, promise."

"Going to talk to my dad any time soon?" she asked, smiling into his shoulder.

"He cornered me earlier. Color me traumatized…."

She laughed as they watched the fairies dance across the night sky.


	79. Parents

**200- Parents**

Teddy frowned down at his cereal.

"What is it, Teddy?" Andromeda asked. "Do you not feel well?"

"I'm fine."

"That wasn't very convincing."

He looked up at her. "Why don't you ever talk about my parents?"

She stopped wiping down the counter for a split second, then started again. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

"You do, Grandmum. When I was little, you would change the subject, and after a while I learned not to ask. You know a reporter stopped me last month while I was on a Hogsmeade trip? He wanted to know all about my plans to join the Appleby Arrows. He asked if I was a Beater because I wanted to take after my mother. Didn't know she was one. I had to go comb the Quidditch archives in the library and check the trophies to find out. I need you to tell me about them. Harry didn't know them long enough—you're all I have."

Andromeda kept cleaning.

"Is it because you hated my dad?"

That got her attention. "Teddy…"

"No…you know what? I don't want to know. I'm going to Harry's house."

"Teddy, wait…"

He didn't stop, but walked outside and Disapparated.


	80. Creeper

**200- Creeper**

They'd been on holiday for about a week, and they were beginning to need a vacation from their vacation. Ginny had slept in that day while Katie went off to an early morning practice. After she'd woken the kids and they'd had breakfast, she brought them out into Muggle Dublin for the day.

Currently, she was sitting on a bench, wondering how much bacteria was growing on the playscape her children were on.

"Hi there."

Ginny looked up to see a tall Irish man. "Hi."

He sat next to her. "Haven't seen you around before. New to the area?"

"I'm on holiday with my family."

"Oh." He seemed disappointed. "Er…so your husband's around?"

"My wife is working this morning."

"Oh! Er…right."

That was usually the response. "So which one's yours?" Ginny asked.

"Er…the wee blonde on the swings."

"The one with the pigtails? Blue dress?"

"Yep. That's little Magda."

"Really? Because I could've sworn that I gave birth to little Ainsley."

The man blushed. "Er…I have to go."

Ginny spent a few minutes relaying this story to the other moms and dads before telling the kids it was time to go.

"What a creeper," Katie said that night at dinner.


	81. Filling Space

**Filling Space**

Dean set the two painting gently against the wall and rang the bell. His career as a decorator for the Wizarding world's upper crust had taken off surprisingly quickly and been astoundingly successful. Of course, some of that could be put to the fact that Potter tended to gush about his artwork in every bloody interview he did, but he knew that what kept him in business was, at the end of the day, his own talent.

Footsteps approached the door of the shop. It was still early, before most of the stores had opened, and Seamus had to unlock the door for him.

"Come on in, mate," he said with a grin.

"Brought your two paintings," Dean said. "Where do you want them?"

"Over the register is fine."

The two men were silent as Dean worked. Once he had the paintings, a Snitch and two Bludgers, situated, he tapped them once, bringing them to life on the canvas. He turned and smiled at Seamus.

"All set."

"Thanks. Er…."

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering, if you're not busy…do you maybe want to grab breakfast with me?"

Dean tried not to grin, heart hammering in his chest. "Sure, Seamus. I'd love to."


	82. Belonging

**Belonging**

Draco sighed happily as he buttoned up his uniform shirt. This. This was what he'd always wanted. This sense of purpose, of belonging. He'd thought he'd find it at Hogwarts, but he'd been just another schoolyard bully. Then he'd tried to be the Chosen One on the wrong side of the war. But here now, he'd finally gotten it. That he didn't need to stand out in order to be something. Sure, approval wasn't something he'd be getting any time soon – at least, not from Lucius – but hell if he needed that anymore.

"Draco? It's almost time."

"Coming," he said, pocketing his wand.

The stage was packed. Three people to his right, Ginny Weasley stood grinning out at her family. He caught her eye, gave a slight smile and nodded. Fuck the past – they were stepping into their future.

"Wizards and witches, I present St. Mungo's newest Healers!"

There was applause as the Head Healer and their trainers shot celebratory sparks over their heads. Two of the trainers came around and began handing out the patches.

When Draco received his from Morgan, a Healer specializing in spell damage, he grinned brightly.

"Well done," Morgan said. "You finally made it."

Finally.


	83. Great Escape

**Great Escape**

Sirius's eyes had long since grown accustomed to the dim light of Azkaban. The chill no longer fazed him. In truth, the thought of his innocence had recently not done much to keep the cold of the Dementors at bay. But now…. Now he had a goal, a purpose. He wouldn't rot here while that scum was still scampering about in the open. It was the only thing that had kept him going since Fudge passed off that newspaper, and he'd spotted Peter for the first time since they locked him up.

The moon was bright when he slipped through the bars of his cell. He'd had to wait a few days to get this right – the moment when the Dementors were farthest away and the tide was the weakest. Still, it might all be for nothing. He was weak himself, and… No. He wouldn't give in to that sort of thinking. He made it out to the rocks and stood looking across to the distant shore. He could make it. He _would _make it. And he'd find the rat who'd betrayed his best friend and kill him.

And maybe, just maybe, he'd even get to meet his godson… Harry.


	84. Portraits

**Portraits **

Harry didn't want to be doing this. When he'd last been here, it had been to hide and plan. Now, Grimmauld Place was truly his, and he had to do some spring cleaning before he could make it his home. He, Ron and Hermione had made short work of most of the house, with Kreacher and Winky's help, but he'd saved this room for last. Ron and Hermione had taken off to Australia last week to find her parents, and had eloped in the process according to their letters and Mrs. Weasley's rants. Now that he was alone, he wanted to conquer the last room – Sirius's.

It was still a mess from before they'd left. He went about it methodically – starting by making the bed. Then he picked up the floor. Then came the dressers, and the closet and the desk. He pulled out the drawer to throw some quills inside and saw a photo album. Hesitating for a moment, he pulled it out and opened it, grinning at his father and godfather's smiling faces. Sitting on the bed, he flipped through the book, page by page, happy to get to know the Marauders and his mum through their portraits.


	85. Pressure

**Pressure**

It started as a fad – just a stupid way for NEWT students to let off some steam during the most grueling Hogwarts year. But then the list started to grow, gaining more dangerous checkpoints. It included, by the time it made it back around to Albus and Scorpius, three different spots in the Forbidden Forest, two teachers' lounges and the Room of Requirement. The last one didn't seem terrible, but the Room still had flashes of fiendfyre in spots and was probably more dangerous than some of the less creative Forest checkpoints.

The game was simple. You get the list, you hit one of the checkpoints and leave your magical signature, it turns up on the list. Then you can pass it on to someone else, or add a place to the list, but you have to visit first.

Which was how Albus found himself climbing the roof of the astronomy tower, scared shitless and swaying slightly in the wind. Merlin damn it! The curse of being a Potter – the peer pressure to go bigger and better. But he wasn't going to kill himself trying. He climbed down to where Scorpius was waiting.

"Fuck this. Let's get out of here."


	86. Solitary

**Solitary**

He'd been here for days, possibly weeks. Somewhere inside himself, he knew he was going out of his mind. Perhaps he'd already lost it – who knew? All he knew for sure was that this was an endless spiral downwards, and he couldn't stop it.

A buzzer sounded somewhere, and the metal grate slid aside from the door.

"Edward Remus Lupin?"

"Teddy," he said quietly.

The door was pulled open and a man walked through. The light was blinding, and Teddy dropped the clothes he threw at him. Far off, he could hear a familiar voice shouting. When his eyes adjusted, he saw the guard scowling at him.

"You're out of here. Put those on."

Teddy looked down. They were his clothes. Some of the badges had been stolen, but they were his. "Thank you," he croaked.

"Sir!" a voice rang out. "Sir, you can't go back there!"

"I never pull this card, but I'm Harry fucking Potter. I can do what I want! Teddy!"

It was like light…not the harsh lights of the prison, but warm, comforting light after days of darkness. "Harry!" he bellowed, surprised at the strength of his voice.

And then godfather was there, hugging him tightly.


	87. Vigilante

**Vigilante**

There'd been that brief period after the war and the rebuilding when things had been okay. He'd settled down with Ginny, had two kids he adored, and one he would've preferred to skip over. And then he'd gotten restless. Staying longer nights at the office, trying to hunt down just one more Dark wizard. Ginny moved out, taking the kids with her. James still came to visit every Saturday, like clockwork, still hoping to put the family back together. He hadn't seen Albus since the boy's 12th birthday – nearly four years now. Lily only came when accompanied by Ginny or George.

Now it was just him. Long, dark nights on watches that were most definitely not approved by the Ministry. The last time Ginny had stopped by they'd gotten into a row. She was worried he'd do something illegal. Famous Harry Potter getting chucked into Azkaban wouldn't be good, now would it? Bad for moral, bad for the family…. But Harry had long ago made peace with alienation. It suited him, weirdly enough.

The wizard he'd been stalking came out of the bar and walked down the street toward him. Silently, invisible, Harry pushed him into the alley and Disapparated.


	88. Art

**Art**

Ginny dropped her training bag near the door and kicked off her shoes. Gwenog had been in particularly sour mood that day, and the practice reflected it. All Ginny wanted was a long bubble bath, a slice of the cake she'd made the day before, and a good cuddle with Harry.

As she continued down the hall, she could hear her children and Teddy playing in one of the rooms. She smiled when she heard the oldest boy laugh – he had Tonks's laugh. When she peeked into the room, she had to stop for a second, blink, and look again to make sure she'd seen what she thought she saw. "What in Merlin's name?" she asked.

The two oldest boys were standing to the side, rolls of Spell-o-tape in their hands. Albus and Lily where taped together on a chair, hostage style, but appeared to be having the time of their lives.

"Hi Mummy!" Lily chirped. "We're playing a game!"

"What game?"

"James is a dark sorcerer and Teddy's an Auror on a mission to save us," Albus supplied, wriggling a bit in his chair.

Ginny nodded twice. "Right…carry on." She closed the door and marched off to find Harry.


	89. Boats

**Boats**

It had sounded fun at first. She and Tonks were an adventurous couple in general, and Pansy had made it a point of pride to keep up with the older woman. So when Tonks had surprised her with a seaside getaway for their anniversary, she'd been ecstatic. Their room overlooked the boats in the harbor and, in between rounds of love-making, Tonks had mentioned something about going out on a sailing day trip. Maybe it was the post-orgasmic high, or the fact that she'd never been on a boat before, but whatever the case, she'd been excited for the new adventure.

Now, she was cursing every god, every witch, wizard and warlock in history, her parents, Tonks's parents, Cthulu, and all the founders of Hogwarts.

"Baby…" Tonks said, rubbing her back.

"Don't 'baby' me," Pansy groaned. "I totally hate you right now."

"I didn't know you got seasick."

"I didn't either. Can we go back, please?"

"He's already turned the boat around, love."

"Can't we just…."

Tonks shook her head slightly. "I'm sorry. It's a Muggle boat rental service."

"I get to plan the next adventure, Nymphadora."

"Of course, dear," Tonks said, discreetly conjuring a ginger ale for her wife.


	90. Carnival

**Carnival**

Tonks held Teddy's hand as the eight year old pulled her through the carnival. It was far past his bedtime, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him it was time to go. He'd been so sad since Remus left for good. "Slow down, Teddy!" she says, laughing.

"Look, though! It's a cotton candy stand! Can I have some?"

"Not tonight. Harry's bringing you back tomorrow and you can have some then. We need to go now."

"Awww!"

"I know," she said, kissing his head. "But you'll come back and have fun with Harry."

"Can I play one more game?"

Tonks sighed, looking around at the swirling, colorful lights. "Sure. I suppose. Which do you want to play?"

Teddy glanced around, hair turning green momentarily before going back to blue. "That one!"

Tonks followed him over to the ring toss game and paid the attendant. She stood to the side as, one by one, five rings flew a little too neatly to their mark.

Teddy got his neon blue tiger (about as big as he was) and took Tonks's hand as they made their way to the exit.

"And here I was wondering when you'd start to show your magic…."


	91. Padfoot

**Padfoot**

"You're not concentrating!"

"I am too! But you try morphing in and out of animal form in the dark, while trying to read tiny arcane text by candlelight."

Sirius got up off the floor, wincing. They'd been at it for months now, ever since they'd found out about Remus's "furry little problem". Peter's rat form had come to him quickly, as had the endless creative jokes about him being a rat…. James had taken slightly longer, but had been prancing around in stag form for about a month….

Sirius grumbled and kicked the book across the floor. All he knew for sure was that his was something with a tail. He'd had to be very creative once, having gotten stuck with it for a day.

James crossed the room and took Sirius by the shoulders. "Close your eyes and breathe."

Sirius complied.

"We have time. Just relax, and concentrate. You've done it once before."

Nodding, Sirius exhaled and focused on the magic he knew would come. After a minute…two minutes…five minutes… he felt himself changing subtly. He felt James's hands fall away as he shrank, mind changing with his form.

He looked up to find James grinning.

"Nice one, Padfoot."


	92. Crown

**Crown**

Pansy strolled through Knockturn Alley with a few of the Aurors. She didn't like working with anyone but Potter and Tonks, really, but they'd been called away that week. "Here we are," she said, nodding to an inconspicuous little doorway.

"Familiar with it, are you?" one Auror grunted.

Normally, she'd ignore it, but she was seventy-five steps past done for the week, and rounded on the man. "Who are you?" she demanded.

His brow furrowed, and he glanced at his companion, confused. "Jon Wintersheath of the Auror department…why—"

"And does the Auror department train you to find Dark objects hidden by Death Eaters?"

"No," he grunted, coloring.

"Exactly. You need me to help you. If my Wizards' Resistance tattoo and my scars aren't enough to prove what side I was on in the end, you can ask Tonks and Potter for details when you get back. Otherwise, keep your idiocy to yourself – it might be contagious."

Wintersheath's companion sniggered as the followed her into the shop.

She ignored the shopkeeper's cries as she put a set of nine crowns in a protective bubble and handed over a slip of parchment. "These are now in the custody of the Ministry."


	93. Shattered

**Shattered**

The ceramic tea pot shattered as it hit the stone floor, but neither of the adults cared. They were far too busy screaming at each other. The letter from Hogwarts lay forgotten on the kitchen table. If you were to ask Angelina tomorrow how her daughter's letter about being sorted into Hufflepuff had triggered another fight with George, she was sure she wouldn't be able to explain it. In fact, she wasn't quite sure what they were fighting about. She never was – he never was – but they kept at it all the same. Sometimes it was the house, or Freddie's grades …. Always something, and it always ended with them hating each other just a bit more.

All screamed out, the two stood glaring at each other. Then, as easily as it had started, it was over. The rage seeped out of them, leaving only two broken individuals gazing sadly at each other.

"This isn't working," George whispered hoarsely.

Angelina nodded, a few tears slipping down her face. "I know."

George took a tentative step forward, and hugged her gently. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I am too."

"Do you hate me?" he whispered, still holding her.

"No," she lied.


	94. Pieces

**Pieces**

The clatter of spoons stopped and the kitchen was enveloped in silence as the two children stared up at their parents, breakfasts long forgotten. The two adults shifted uncomfortably, but stayed silent, waiting for their kids to absorb the information.

"What do you mean…divorced?" Freddie asked.

"This…It's a decision we made so that we can give you the home you deserve," George said. "Your mother and I have been having some troubles, and we don't want to draw this out any longer. It was a hard decision," he said softly. "We still love each other very much, and we love you. But we think this is for the best."

Freddie pushed his chair back and bolted to his room.

Angelina flinched when she heard the door slam. "Roxy, honey?"

The twelve-year-old shrugged. "Well…maybe now you'll stop fighting long enough to remember our birthdays." She followed her brother upstairs.

There was no slam that time.

George took Angelina's hand, hearing his soon-to-be ex-wife choke back a sob. "We're doing the right thing, here, Angie. I know it."

"Fred's somewhere shaking his head at us…."

"We tried for him, then for them. Now it's time to do the right thing for us."


	95. Graffiti

**Graffiti**

Albus Potter tied his Slytherin scarf around his face as he scrubbed graffiti off the walls in the Quidditch locker room. He tried not to dwell on how much he hated his brother. It wasn't enough that James was the favorite, or that he was the Second Quidditch Coming of Harry Potter, or that everyone liked to call him, Albus, The Bastard Potter…. He'd been able to handle all of that since he was ten. But now his dear older brother was wrecking his Hogwarts experience too. He tried to stay away from him, to carve his own path…but it didn't matter. And now, the one time James had graced him with enough acceptance to hang out with him at school, it had only been to have a fall guy for their stupid prank.

"Need a hand?" a voice whispered.

Albus looked around, seeing no one. "Scorp?"

"Up here."

Albus looked up to see a pale, pointed face grinning at him out of the vent. He suppressed a snigger and climbed onto the lockers to help his best friend out. "Should I even ask how you know how to sneak in here?"

"Nope. Hand me a rag. Let's finish this."


	96. Date

**Date**

Teddy tucked his shirt in and put in his earrings as he made his way through his house, looking for where he'd left his wand. He stopped for a drink in the kitchen, waving at his gran as he entered.

"Don't you look nice," she said fondly, smoothing his neon blue hair down a bit. "Are you going out?"

"Aye. I…er…have a date," he said.

Andromeda smirked. "And who, might I ask, is the supremely lucky witch?"

Ah…there it was. Well, moment of truth, then. "Wizard, actually," he said. "I'm taking Freddie to the festival in London tonight. Freddie Weasley," he elaborated at Andromeda's unreadable face.

"I see," she said. "How long have you two been seeing each other?"

"Since the beginning of the year," Teddy said.

"Edward Remus Lupin, you've been hiding your boyfriend from me for an entire year?"

"Technically it's not hiding if you already know him."

"Don't you get cheeky with me, young man. You're inviting him over for tea on Sunday. No arguments."

"Yes, Gran."

She kissed him on the forehead, and handed him his wand. "Have a good time tonight. No cheating on the Muggle fair games."

He grinned and nodded. "Of course not."


	97. Storm

**Storm**

Tonks gazed out at the storm, starting to worry a bit. Teddy and Harry had gone to fetch groceries over two hours ago. It shouldn't take that long to get food for the week. Just as she was about to send a Patronus to them, she heard creative swearing coming from the Apparation point in the entryway.

"Harry James! Why are you teaching him such language?" she asked, grinning as the pair came in.

They were soaked from the rain and loaded down with shopping bags. Harry smirked, dropping them on the table.

"Nothing he hasn't heard from you before," he countered.

"That's the truth. Right. What did you get? Please tell me you managed to grab vegetables and not just junk food this time."

"You wound us, Mother," Teddy said, pulling a bunch of onions out of one of the sack. "Of course we did."

"Something other than onions?" she asked, because it had happened before.

"Yes, dear," Harry said.

Thunder rumbled right above the house, and the power died.

"Lumos."

"Teddy!"

"What? You're both here and we need light!"

"I'll go light the lanterns," Tonks said.

The men continued to put groceries away as the storm raged on.


	98. Corpse

**Corpse**

The day after the Battle was chaos. Quiet chaos, but chaos nonetheless. There were families to notify… wounded to attend to…. It was enough to make anyone's head spin, and as Arthur paused for a moment, he was glad Harry, Ron and Hermione were out of the way at Andromeda's house. If anyone, they deserved a breather before the world caught up with them again.

He looked around the Great Hall and frowned. "Molly," he said, walking over to where his wife was helping Madame Pomfrey. "Have you seen George?"

She looked around as well, and fear rose in her eyes.

"I'm sure he's just getting some air," Arthur said quickly. "I'll find him, shall I?"

He wandered through a few halls, stopping when he heard sobbing coming from one of the side rooms. He sighed, looking at which room it was, and pushed the door open quietly.

Rows of coffins lined the room, and toward the back, George was kneeling next to one with a glass lid.

"George…son…."

George cried onto his father's shoulder, but wouldn't move from next to Fred's coffin.

"It's going to be okay," Arthur promised, holding one son and looking down at the other's corpse.


	99. Value

**Value**

"Uncle Neville…." Fred said, holding the letter limply in his hand. "You always let me stay during the summer," he said. "Why can't I this year?"

"Because."

"Because isn't a reason, godfather…."

"It's your last summer as a student. Next summer, you'll be entering the real world. You should go home. Spend some time with Freddie…look around for job ideas…maybe see your parents…."

"Is that what this is about?" the boy asked.

"You haven't been home for a break since you were thirteen," Neville said sternly. "When we revised the rule about summer holidays, it was for people like Harry and me, who had nowhere else to go or could use extra help before school started back. You're an exemplary student…you're just running from your problems."

"I don't want to see them."

"You have two parents who love you and your sister," Neville said. "Enough to put up with the fact that you don't ever want to come home, and sign your summer permission slip every year. You may not see the value of your family, but I do. They may not be perfect, but they're there. Now go on, or you'll be late."

Realizing defeat, Freddie nodded and left.


	100. Shadow

**Shadow**

Harry sat perfectly still, watching from the shadows. The wizard he was focused on didn't know he was there, paying more attention to the girl he was with than his surroundings. Harry had been tailing them for over an hour, waiting with wand at the ready for any sign that he needed to intervene. His senses were heightened, but not heightened enough to notice the man sneaking up behind him. There was a short scuffle, but then he was in a full body bind, and there was the feeling of being sucked through a tube.

He glared around when he landed in a cozy little kitchen.

Ron removed the curse. "And you're supposed to be an Auror…" he said, chuckling.

"Ron! Why'd—"

"Orders from the boss and the sister," he said, shrugging. "They thought Lily's first date would take a turn for the worse if you ended up hexing her boyfriend."

Harry harrumphed and leaned against the counter. "How'd they know—"

"You're talking about Ginny and Hermione, mate. Of course they knew you were following them. You've got to relax. What were you going to do, hex him if he touched her?"

"Maybe."

"And they call me mental…."


End file.
